I'm Ready
by gizmo71
Summary: It's 1967, Olivia Pope, law graduate from Howard University struggles to find a job, in a country still filled with civil unrest and inequality. That's until Fitz, a friend of her father helps her out- securing her a role in a women's rights organisation. Working so closely together, feelings soon develop; but will the price they pay to be together come at too great a cost?
1. Chapter 1

**I'm ready**

Part 1

"Daddy, I do not need hand-outs, I can find my own job, by my OWN merits". She seethes.

Exasperated, Eli runs his hand over his face… _Why or why did she have to be so stubborn_? It was now more than ever that she reminded him of her mother, god rest her soul; but she was as stubborn as a mule too. "All I'm saying Liv is that it's been 8 months since you graduated from Howard and as educated and brilliant as you are, they're simply not hiring the likes of you!"

"_Why?_ Because I'm black- and I'm a women, is that what you're implying?"

He didn't want to say it, but sadly it was the truth- and it was also one of the many reason as to why he worked day and night, as a Civil Rights Activist. Despite Civil Law being passed three years ago, it was plain to see that prejudice and injustice for black people was still very much apparent, even more so if you happened to be a woman; it was twice the struggle. After all, his daughter was a prime example of the underlying discrimination that still existed in America. As much as the government tries to deny it- the blacks were not seen as equals. "Baby girl, you've been on ELEVEN interviews, they're not hiring you- Can't you see that? That's why I spoke to Fitzgerald; with him planning to run for State Governor next year, he is well-connected and involved in a great number of political or non-political organisations- I'm sure he can find you something to do."

Pride getting in the way; preferring to find her own way in the world, she scrunches up her face in disdain, but refrains from arguing her point any further. Deep down she knows her father is right, even if it pains her to admit it. 4 years of studying Law at Howard- _had it all been in vain?_ Was she that naive to believe that America could change? Her friend Edison who also studied Law with her, had struggled to secure himself a job too, and in the end it took his father's influence within that particular sector to finally land himself a gig. He was now working for a small law firm, supporting black people in minor civil disputes. Funnily enough, when Edison had informed her that he was applying for that position, she decided to fill out an application too. However, despite the fact that she had graduated with honours that were far superior then that of Edison's, she was not even shortlisted for an interview.

Her father's words ringing true once again, even among her own people, she was regarded as a lesser being- and all because she was a woman; and in short she was growing increasingly tired of it.

However, having to accept momentary defeat, begrudgingly she gives in to her father's suggestion. "Fine, I'll meet with Fitz and see what he has to offer, but it has to fit in with my ideals Daddy; I don't want to work in any old job, it has to be right for me; directly geared to my skill set, otherwise I won't be interested and it will end up being a waste of time."

From all that spiel, all Eli hears is her agreeing to meet with Fitz, which is good enough for him. "Great that settles it- I'll call and let him know that you'll come and meet him in the office, tomorrow at noon, if that's okay with you pumpkin?"

"Yes, I suppose so," She huffs, and he can't help but smile in response… "You're something else my dear child… something else indeed."

xxxxxxxxx

_"I told you already, I will be there… No, I have not contacted him yet… I told you, I don't agree with his politics… Yes… yes, I know he would be influential… Listen, my father is interfering enough, I don't need you on my case as well Mellie…"_

A knock on the door, momentarily distracts him from his conversation, as he waves Cyrus in… "Look, I've got to go… I'll see you later… Yes, alright… I promise, goodbye."

"She's a special lady that Mellie," Cyrus comments knowingly.

"Oh she's special alright…" Fitz agrees with a slight grimaces; his wife's voice was still ringing in his ear.

"You wanted me Cy?"

"Yes, sorry to interrupt, but Olivia Pope is here waiting to see you, she had an appointment with you at 12 O'clock."

He looks down at his watch, unable to believe the time, it was way past 12 o'clock now. "Oh my, I totally forgot she was coming, yes of course, send her in Cy."

Olivia Pope, Elijah's only daughter. It had been years since he last saw her, in fact, she was still in her teens when they last met. It had been at a political function that he had collaborated on with her father, tackling police brutality towards the blacks. She had been a quiet soul back then, nothing like the stories he's been told of her recently. Elijah was a proud papa, he never stopped talking about his daughter and her accomplishments- nor did he stop talking about the injustice she was currently facing; being unable to find suitable employment. To be honest, Fitz was so aggrieved at the notion that a girl as talented as Olivia could be so easily cast aside as a result of her skin colour; when it came down to it Eli didn't even have to ask him for a favour, he was more than happy to offer up a solution. Besides, if she was as good as her father said she was, she will prove to be an invaluable asset.

A second knock on the door signals her arrival; "Come in," he calls to her, lifting his head up from his musings to greet her.

_Wow…_ Okay, so Miss Olivia Pope was definitely not a teenager anymore. She was all grown up and dare he say stunning.

"Hi," he finds that his mouth has gone dry and all of a sudden his palms feel sweaty too.

"Hi Mr Grant".

He stands up, offering her a handshake and then a seat… "Please, take a seat Olivia, and by the way feel free to call me Fitz… And I'm so sorry for the wait."

"I appreciate that, thank you." After a slight hesitation, as if pondering whether she should say it or not, she adds… "_Umm_ Fitz, I was wondering if you would mind terribly if we can remain formal when we're at work, it's just… if you're going to offer me a job, I don't want anyone thinking that I've earned it unfairly, because we are familiar with one another?"

Straight to business he sees. "Of course Olivia I totally understand, and you're right; it would be better for us to keep things professional in the workplace." He retorts. Olivia clearly had her wits about her; and so he agrees with her request, even if the sound of his name passing from her lips had a profound effect on him. If he had the nerve to stop and question as to why that would be, he would most certainly be treading upon forbidden grounds, so he doesn't; and quickly pushes the thought aside.

Olivia however, completely unaware of the effect she was having on him, takes the offered seat, crossing her legs and causing her skirt to rise ever so slightly, exposing her toned thighs to his view. And God help him, but he can't help but notice it- _What was it with this girl?_ It was as if somehow Olivia's presence was drawing him in on every little single detail about her; from her defined cheekbones, to her full pouty lips, and her tiny waist. She was the definition of distraction and beauty rolled up into one, and he berated himself for even thinking it.

He clears his throat. _Pull it together Fitz, she's your friend's daughter for Christ sake- and let's not forget the fact that you're married- Damn it!_

He takes a seat opposite her, silently vowing to compose himself. Eventually, he proceeds… "So Olivia, your father says you're in need of a job."

"That I am, but I have to be honest with you Fitz, although society dictates that I shouldn't be, I'm extremely fussy when it comes down to the line of work I should get involved in… I've worked too hard to get to where I am now, I know my worth and my area of expertise; and as I'm sure you already know I have in-depth knowledge of the law and so therefore I will not settle for a job that is anyway diminutive of these attributes."

He was impressed, "I wouldn't dream of offering you anything less Olivia, although I have to admit the majority of the organisations I am affiliated with are non-profitable, but that doesn't mean there isn't any scope for creating a role that could would place you on our payroll, in fact I have just the thing is mind…"

Less than 30 minutes later, Fitz had her assigned to the National Organisation for Women (NOW) foundation; with her background in Law she would be in charge of all legal matters, but more importantly she would be working for a cause that she was all too familiar with, but also fully supportive of-Women's Rights.

Olivia thought it was perfect… "When dad suggested I come and speak to you, I was a bit reluctant; I've always been independent, and I was hell bent on doing this on my own… but I'm so glad that I came." She admits ruefully. "Thank you Fitz, I promise I won't let you down."

"Olivia, I have no doubt in my mind." He grins widely, which she mirrors-genuinely pleased with the turn of events.

With their meeting closing to an end, she grabs her purse and rises from her seat; to which he follows suit escorting her to the door, albeit reluctantly, because he could quite happily spend the rest of the day conversing with her. Not only was she visibly stimulating, she was intellectually stimulating as well- a rare delight. He takes her hand into his own and shakes it, sealing the deal… "So, I'll see you tomorrow bright and early Miss Pope?"

She chuckles, rather amused by his suddenly business like tone. "Oh I'll be there on time; after all I wasn't the one running late today, now was I Mr Grant?"

He laughs, "Touché".


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

Olivia was buzzing from head to toe- what a week!

Working at NOW was everything she has anticipated it to be and so much more. It had been fast paced from the moment she stepped through the doors- just as she liked it. Fitz had chaired a meeting with the founders on her first day; formally introducing her and explaining what her new role would be within their organisation, before going on to address various protocols and new cases. It was a lot to take in, but she managed to keep up remarkably well for a newbie. The founders, who had welcomed her with opened arms and seemed keen to get her started, where three of the most extraordinary black women she had ever met. All of them amazing in their own rights; strong, intelligent and completely driven to make a stand for American Women- blacks and whites alike. In short they were the epitome of inspirational; their collective visions were a breath of fresh air, and more importantly they were inclusive. Which in Olivia's eyes was essential to the organisations future success and longevity. It made perfect sense, otherwise how could America even begin to move forward on issues of race and equality, if organisations like NOW only catered to black women? _No_, NOW has chosen to break the proverbial mold, and that gave them an advantage.

After months of tirelessly searching for work, she had finally found something she could sink her teeth into and hopefully get the chance to make a difference. She felt privileged to be part of such a worthy cause, but above all extremely grateful to her father and Fitz for providing her with this opportunity. Hence part of the reason as to why she stopped off at the grocery store; with her first pay check in hand, in search of a small gift for Fitz and a fresh cut of prime beef steak for her father's dinner. It was the least she could do.

_"Liv, is that you?"_ Her father calls out to her from the living room.

"Hey daddy," she replies cheerfully, hanging up her coat and heading in the direction of his voice. "Guess what I've got for dinner…" She announces, but then trails off once she realises they have company. "_Oh_ Edison… _Hi,_ I wasn't expecting you to be here?" She looks at him questioningly, however it's Eli that responds instead. "I invited him over for dinner Liv, I hope you don't mind, I just thought it would be nice for the pair of you to catch up; that way you could tell him all about the new job", he suggests with a wink.

She responds with a tight smile.

Her father's intentions couldn't be more obvious if he tried. Since the day she introduced Edison to her father as her friend, he had been pushing for them to become more. Edison came from a good, well-educated family, and Eli only wanted the best for his little girl, and in his mind Edison was it. Unfortunately she was not interested in anything other than friendship, which she had made clear to her father, and Edison for that matter- very early on in their relationship when it became obvious to her that he was holding out for more. Not that she didn't find him attractive, because she did; but Edison was far too traditional for her, especially when it came to gender roles. They had many fiery debates on what they believed the role of a wife should play- and no part of what he had to say on the topic made her feel inclined to entertain delusions of romance and marriage with this man. Simply, what she wanted from a man was something that Edison could not provide.

"Actually Daddy, I was planning on cooking you a nice meal to celebrate, but I'm afraid it won't be enough to share between three…_so…_" She turns to Edison, apologetically, "I'm sorry Edison, maybe we can hang out another night?"

"Nonsense," Eli interrupts, "I'll head out and grab something else to eat, that way Edison can have my half - problem solved".

"Mr Pope, it's fine, I can see Olivia another night…" Edison tries to protest, but Eli won't hear another word. He stands up and reaches for his hat… "_Nope, nope, nope_… You stay, I insist." He walks over to Olivia and kisses her on the forehead. "I'll see you later pumpkin; you two kids have fun now you hear."

"Bye dad." She replies dryly.

Highly amused, Edison smiles at her as Eli walks out the door.

Coast clear. "_So…_ what's for dinner _hunni?_"

She picks up a cushion from the sofa and throws it at his head… "Don't even go there Davis…"

He breaks out into laughter, unable to contain himself for any longer.

"Haha, very funny." She hands him the groceries… "_Here_, make yourself useful, get this steak on the grill- while I go and freshen up".

He peers inside the bag, and spots a small flask of whiskey- "_Oooh_ fancy, is this for us too?"

"Forget it, it's not for you, or me - it's for Fitz".

"And who's he exactly?"

She can't help but detect a tinge of jealous in his tone. "Fitz is my boss," she clarifies.

"_Olivia Pope!_" He berates her mockingly, or so it appears … "Well who'd have thought it, you're more scandalous then what you've led me to believe little lady."

_"You wish_, and it's not like that at all- If you must know it's a thank you present – Fitz has been extremely kind and generous to me this week; firstly by offering me the job and then by helping me to settle in- I owe him a lot."

A thought suddenly strikes him, "Is he white?"

She's a bit taken back by that. "And what difference does that make exactly?"

"_Well,_ is he?"

"Yes he's white, and he also happens to be a friend of my dad's; they've worked on various political campaigns together."

He snorts. "A friend!? Liv come on, don't be so ridiculous. In this world we live in, your dad and _Fitz_ could never be anything more than colleges and you know it."

"_Uugh_, you are so prejudice sometimes it's unbelievable…"

"Look, I'm just being real. I care about you Liv, and it worries me that you're out here buying gifts for some white man, you barely know, just because you think you owe him something…" He moves closer to her, as he adds warningly… "You best make sure that he doesn't start getting ideas into that big head of his, thinking that you owe him more than what you're willing to give up".

"_Wow_, not all white men are like that Edison!"

"And you'd be naïve to think otherwise Liv."

Incensed, she backs away and heads to the front door. "You know what, I think maybe you should go before I say something I might regret."

"Fine, I'll leave… but know this; as your friend I'm only trying to look out for you, and by doing so that sometimes involves me telling you how it is, even when you're too pig headed to hear it".

She refuses to respond, because she's just about holding a lid on her temper- _How dare he underestimate her, and presume that she is incapable of making sound judgements about those around her. _

Wisely he takes her silence as his cue to depart, which he does so, giving her a chaste peck on the cheek before heading through the door… "Just be careful Liv, that's all I ask."

Angrily, she slams the door shut behind him. _"What does he know anyway..."_ she mumbles to herself… He didn't know him, Fitz could never be that guy, if anything he was unlike any other man she had met.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

Grasping the flask of whiskey tightly in her hands; Olivia struggles to decide as to whether or not she should hand the gift to Fitz. She was never one for second guessing herself, but Edison's words had been playing in her mind on continuous loop the entire weekend… _Would she be stepping over the line by thanking him in this manner? _Would he possibly get the wrong idea and then start to take advantage- Like Edison was suggesting, o_r w_ould he simply be touched at the kind gesture and accept it for what it was- a thank you and nothing more? Fitz appeared to be a level headed man; not exactly the type to jump to outlandish conclusions- besides if he was that way inclined, he would never stand a chance at running for State Governor- and from what she had seen of him so far she believed him to be a very strong candidate.

_This is ridiculous_, she decides; secretly chastising herself for even allowing this silly bout of paranoia to take root, and instead chooses to follow what her gut is telling her to do... _Go ahead Liv._

As soon as she spots him alone again, she takes a deep breath- and heads on over to him.

xxxxxxx

Fitz hadn't really planned on coming in today; he had a number of meetings to attend on the other side of town, but yet somehow he managed to find a reason to stop here first. Honestly, he couldn't help it; not being able to see or speak to Olivia over the weekend had left him feeling restless. He had tried to downplay his initial reaction to her; as nothing more than a heterosexual man being able to recognise a pretty woman when he saw one- _Only,_ Olivia Pope had to go an open that pouty little mouth of hers, and he soon came to realise that not only was she remarkably beautiful she was a woman of great substance too. Confident, witty and smart- she was a lady that could rival any man, but yet still remain feminine and gentile at the same time. _How was that even possible?_

Olivia was intrigue all over, and every fibre of his being wanted to explore her further- but these feelings did not come without consequence. Over the past week, every night he returned home to Mellie, or when he played with his kids before getting them ready for bed, he felt like the lowest of the lows; bombarded with wave after wave of suffocating guilt for even harbouring thoughts of Olivia.

Because Fitz was not that sort of man.

Sure enough his marriage to Mellie had been staged, one of convenience in fact; it had not stemmed from the hot, passionate and crazy sort of love that one would have hoped to find in a partner, although that didn't mean he didn't care about Mellie. She was the mother of his children, and the same woman he stood before the eyes of God and vowed to remain faithful to. And after years of witnessing the way in which his father had disregarded his wedding vows, by cheating and whoring around with as many different women as possible, he had refused to let Mellie suffer a similar fate to his mother's. Therefore, up until recently, he had never once entertained the thought of being with another woman. But then Olivia Pope appeared on the scene and had unknowingly turned him on his head; and now he was at a loss on how best to handle the situation. The easiest thing to do, would be to find some lame ass excuse to terminate her contact, tell her it wasn't working out and send her on her way. But he wouldn't have the conscience to do something like that- For one, she didn't deserve to be blamed for his inability to control his feelings, and two she was far too good at what she did to get rid of her. Therefore, all that was left to do was exercise some self-restraint and keep his distance from Olivia at all times, by immersing himself in one of the many other organisations he was involved in. When he left his house earlier this morning, that had been the master plan, but it lasted all of 5 seconds, before he suddenly found himself driving towards NOW's main office.

He spotted her straight away, slightly bent over, retrieving files from the filing cabinet. She was wearing a figure hugging pencil skirt and loose fitting blouse, with her hair pinned up in tidy chignon. She looked simply delectable. But luckily for him (and his wandering mind) he was immediately distracted by Quinn, another co-worker of his, rambling on; needing his undivided attention as she ran a number of items past him.

Caught up in work mode, he failed to notice that Olivia had spotted him and was now watching him from afar.

"_Right_, so you're definitely sure about this- I should follow through with Mrs Johnson's case, before proceeding with Yemin's?" Quinn verifies, needing to be certain.

"Definitely", Fitz encourages, and then gives her a few more pointers on how best to proceed before she appears satisfied and makes her way back to her desk.

_A heartbeat later, he feels a delicate tap to his shoulder; momentarily catching him off guard._

"_Oh_, I'm sorry Mr Grant, I didn't mean to startle you." She apologises profusely, as a forbidden blush of rouge fills her cheeks.

"Miss Pope… _Hi…_" He was surprised, _pleasantly so_.

"_Hi,"_ She returns nervously; Fitz had never seen this side of her, almost coy as she shuffles on her dainty healed feet.

"_I umm_… I wanted to give you this." He hadn't even noticed her hands were hiding behind her back, until she brings them forward presenting him with a small flask of malt whiskey. "It's just a little something to say thank you, really…"

_Could she be any more adorable?_ He's extremely touched by the sentiment and finds the irresistible urge to reach over and cup her face in the palm of his hand, but somehow he digs in deep enough to refrain from doing so, and instead, takes the offered flask from her hands, staring into her eyes intently. "Miss Pope, this is extremely kind of you, but believe me you didn't have to…"

What comes over her next, she can't quite explain; maybe it's the way he's looking at her... but before she can even register what she's doing she instinctively reaches out to him, touching his arm. The unexpected contact silencing the rest of his words, as she now returns his gaze with equal fervour… "_Oh but I did…_ I don't think you realise just how much I appreciate having this job Mr Grant, it means everything to me, and I just wanted you to know that I'm extremely grateful."

Knowing he shouldn't, but powerless to stop himself, he mirror her boldness by placing his other hand on top of hers. "I am the one who is grateful Miss Pope, I…_ I mean, we…_ are fortunate to have you here… And don't you ever forget that."

Flattered, her face lights up as she smiles at him brightly. And it is in that very moment that he realises the truth- he was well and truly doomed.

And now he can't help but wonder if she knows it too?


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi all- first I will like to say a massive thanks for all the encouragement I have received so far, it's been very encouraging- especially as I have never written anything on this site before and this is also my first Scandal fanfic. **

**I've only just discovered Scandal, after marathon watching it on Netflix recently, and I'm totally hooked! **

**Sucker for forbidden love me. And before I knew it my mind was racing with ideas- then again Olitz are a very worthy muse.**

**On a side note, sorry for the delay in the next post. I've been away for a couple of days, with my good friend- who lost her mother to Cancer 3 weeks ago- Her funeral was 2 days ago- very sad, but equally beautiful, so as you can imagine, very little time for writing.**

**Thanks for your continued patience and support.**

Part 4

A month later.

Despite the fact that her father rubbed shoulders with white people all the time in his line of work, Olivia had had very little interaction with white folks growing up. Her parents had sent her to one the best elementary schools in Washington, but where the cohort was 98% Black and Mexican; as were the teaching staff. Her High School had been pretty much the same too, with regards to diversity and when it came to choosing colleges, her father had insisted upon her attending a college that was historically all-black. And with her 4.0 GPA, she had her pick of the listed Black Ivy League Colleges; Howard, Fisk, Morehouse, Spelman, Dillard, Hampton and Tuskegee; any of them would have been privileged to have her. Howard of course became the obvious choice, not only because it was the closest, but it also had one of the best Law programmes to offer. Therefore, apart from the occasional political event that she had no choice but to accompany her father to when she was younger (mainly because he was fiercely protective of her and never trusted anyone to look after his daughter) it was fair to say that Eli had kept Olivia pretty much sheltered from white people for the majority of her life. And taking into consideration as to how her mother was brutally murdered, at the hands of white men, he wouldn't have had it any other way. Therefore, before coming to work for NOW, the only person that Olivia had ever talked to, or could even personally claim to know that was white was Fitz.

And yet after 22 years of shelter, here she was suddenly working alongside both white women as well as black- for the greater good.

Quinn Perkins and Abby Whelan's had been working with NOW for just under a year, and like Olivia they had come from an educational background too. Quinn was working there voluntarily, as she studied for her MA in political science and Abby had a degree in Criminology. She had always fancied herself as being a member of the CIA- but with the CIA being a predominately male field, she realised she didn't stand a chance in hell. It was the main reason as to why she came to work for NOW- she wanted to make a stand against inequality for women in the workforce.

Olivia liked Quinn and Abby, and much to her surprise she found out they had a lot in common. Despite the obvious difference in their race and social upbringing, they were not dissimilar when it came to their principals and ideals. America needed to move forward, and they were all too willing to be the champions for the many women out there, who also wished to walk against the tide and push for change. They had even made a nick name for themselves; it was the perfect mix of professional and warrior in one, seeing as they were facing real life battles every day... Thus calling themselves the "Gladiators in Suits".

_You had to admit it had a certain ring to it._

"So Liv have you got any plans for tonight?" Abby enquires, putting away the rest of her filling- ready to call it a night herself.

"I'm meeting up with a friend of mine, actually", Liv replies.

"_OOOOOoooh,"_ Quinn teases, briefly halting her ministrations-to noisy in on the conversation. She was always down for a little girlie gossip… "So who is he?"

Embarrassed, Olivia blushes under the two girl's scrutiny- "It's not like that at all- he's just a friend," she insists, but the girls are not buying it.

"_Okay,_ so let me ask you this… This "_so-called"_ friend of yours, have you and him ever made out?"

Reluctant to answer; finding herself internally cringe at the memory... "A couple of times yes, but that was a very long time ago" She admits sheepishly.

"How long you talking exactly?"

"First year in college," she clarifies, "But not long after that, I realised that we could never be more than friends."

_"Really?"_ Abby looks at her quizzically, "Why was that, was he not your type?"

"Honestly, I don't know… I mean, back then I might have said yes, _but now…_ I'm not so sure what my type is anymore?" The truth was, over the last month a certain blue eyed, incredibly handsome, white, happily married man- (or so she'd been told) and father of two, had her rethinking everything she had once believed was attractive or even acceptable. She couldn't exactly pin point the moment she started to see her father's friend in this forbidden light, but it was happening all the same- and honestly, not only did it leave her feeling incredibly guilty and confused, she was also terrified.

"Well I fancy tall men, with dark brown hair and great, big… _guns…"_ Abby interjects, winking suggestively…

"You are terrible Abby!" Quinn gasps, in mock horror, fighting to contain her mirth, unlike Olivia who cannot not stop herself from laughing, having been successfully pulled from her thoughts by Abby's racy comment.

Abby was not exactly a shrinking violet- out of the three of them she was the most liberated, and fully embraced her sexuality, whereas Quinn had only ever been with one guy, Gideon- her fiancé, and when it came to Olivia, well she had never really been in a relationship- not that she had shared that knowledge with the girls yet. "Quinn, you are such a prude- every girl knows that size matters when it comes to the bedroom- I'm sure Gideon is well equipped too- otherwise wedding bells would not be on the horizon, I'm sure".

Quinn's cheeks seemed to adopt a new shade of red, after that comment… Warningly, "Abby, I refuse to discuss Gideon's package with the likes of you- knowing you, you might try and develop ideas in that horny little head of yours!"

"_Ha Ha_, fair enough, I don't blame you… I wouldn't trust me either." Abby chuckles in amusement, raising her hands in surrender, before turning her attentions to Olivia; with a question that she had been burning to ask for quite some time now, but had never found the appropriate, or more precisely _"inappropriate" _time to ask until now.

_"_I need to know…_ is it true Olivia?"_

"Is what true?" Olivia replies in momentary confusion, her innocence telling.

"What they say about black men… are they… _well, you know…_ are they as big as they say…"

_Oh Lord…_ At that point it only takes her a second to register what Abby is actually asking her, and her eyes nearly pop out of their sockets in response, mortified.

_Abby was officially too hot to handle. _

"I… I_ really_ wouldn't know". She answers in all honesty, because she didn't.

And it doesn't take the other two ladies long to read in-between the lines- and figure out what Olivia is also implying with that statement.

"_Oh my god_, NO way..." Quinn remarks in shock, "Olivia, are you saying you've never had sex before?" By the way they are looking at her, you would have thought she had grown 3 heads or something, and she doesn't know whether she should feel embarrassed or proud of that particular fact, but in the end chooses to stick with proud. At the end of the day, she had made a promise to herself that when she decided to give up her virtue, it would be with a man that was not only worthy of her body, but also worthy of her soul and her love too, and not before that.

Funnily enough, even Abby had to respect her on that front… "You're good Liv, God knows I wouldn't have the will power." She smirks to herself before adding… "I just about have the will to stay away from married men, let alone single and available ones".

And so it all comes crashing back down again- _Thanks Abby_! Those pesky, niggling and highly forbidden thoughts of Fitz, were threatening to plague poor Olivia once again, and was the very reason as to why she agreed to go out with Edison tonight- She was in desperate need of a distraction, and above all welcomed a dose of reality check. Even if Fitz wasn't married, even if he felt the same- which would be completely preposterous considering the circumstances, _he could never, she had to be mistaken…_ But even then, when it came to the crux of it, bottom line; Fitz would always be white, and so therefore he (or any another other white man for that matter) could never become the basis of what she desired to pursue. Not now, not ever- and especially not him…

Even if those blue eyes of his seemed to pierce right through to her very core of her, as if deliberately provoking a response from her- A response that could possibly unleash a whole can of messy, difficult and extremely toxic worms.

Drama and the likes of which she was not emotionally ready for, or even capable of dealing with. Just thinking about it was crazy.


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5

The NOW team had been pulling an all-nighter, the girls were working on a time sensitive case that involved a recently widowed mother of three, Marisa Thomas; whose husband, the only breadwinner of the household- was killed, during what was supposed to be a peaceful protest two months ago. Without her husband's income, she had been struggling to pay the taxes on the house and now the state was looking to evict her and her family within 10 working days. Between the grief of losing her husband and struggling to cope financially on her own, she had allowed the entire situation to consume her whole. Until her Aunt intervened and encouraged her to contact NOW for advice. Much to Marisa's relief, it seemed not all hope was lost- as long as the laddies brought all their resources together, and worked fervently to find a viable solution; one that would hopefully result in Marisa keeping her house.

It was 1.50 am when Quinn and Abby finally decided to throw the towel in and head off home, because truly no amount of coffee was going to keep their eyes open for a second longer. "Come on Liv, time to go you're exhausted… you won't be good for anything in the morning, if you keep this up…"

"Abby's right Liv, come on… I've called Gideon, he'll come and pick us up… Let us drop you home."

"I'm good, besides I think I'm onto something…"

Abby shakes her head. When Liv decided to dig her heals in, there was no winning with her. "Liv, don't be ridiculous- besides it's too late for you walk back on your own- it won't be safe."

"_WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON IN HERE_?"

All three girls jump out of their skin, startled. They had not heard him enter.

"Mr Grant? What are you doing here?" Abby exclaims.

"I should be asking you ladies the same thing." He looks over at Olivia, making sure she's alright. He hadn't meant to spook anyone, but when his taxi drove past the building and he noticed that the lights were on, he asked the driver to pull over so he could investigate. Jet lag or no jet lag, he wasn't going to ignore a possible break in. However much to his relief, it happened to be the ladies still at work. Except, he now finds himself growing increasingly concerned as to why they were still here.

"Is everything alright?" He queries.

"Yes everything is fine…" Quinn quickly fills him in on the case, and tells him that they were just in the process of trying to get Olivia to leave with them too when he walked in.

"I told you guys already, go home… I'm fine."

"Miss Pope, its nearly 2 o'clock in the morning, surely whatever you are doing can wait for a few hours; at least until you can return from a little shut eye?" Like the others, Fitz tries to encourage her to leave her post but it's to no avail- she won't budge. Even the sudden honking from outside, signalling Gideon's arrival- doesn't seem to have any effect on her- as she bids them all goodnight.

Realising he's fighting a losing battle, he silently admits defeat and sees the other ladies out instead. Once outside he also sees to his cab driver, grabbing his luggage from the boot and paying for the fare, before returning to Liv inside. She's a little surprised to see him re-enter; as for a moment she assumed he had left with the others.

Realising that they're the only ones left in the building now, she can't help but notice that her pulse has quickened in pace… _What was going on with her?_ Recently, it was as if her body had a mind of it's on when he was around; his presence alone causing it to sing in response_... Pull it together Liv, this is not the time or place to figure this out… you have work to do. He needs to go_. She clears her throat, and dropping the formality says… "Fitz, you didn't have to stay, _really_- I'm a big girl- and you have a family to get back to." As much as she appreciated the gesture, she didn't want him to stay with her, he was too much of a distraction.

"_Liv_, Mellie and the kids are fast asleep right now, so it won't make a blind bit of difference whether I'm here or there right now- they won't even notice. If anything I'm more concerned about you… Does your father know that you're still here, burning the midnight oil?"

"He told me that he'll be out tonight, so I guess he won't notice either." She replies curtly, keeping her head trained to her work… Hoping that her tone and body language will deter him from staying.

Not a chance.

_God she was beautiful, even when she was stressing and tired-she was simply breath taking._

It went without saying, something about this case had her all fired up and determined to finish it;, but there was something else, only Fitz couldn't quite put his finger on it- a sort of nervous energy about her. But one thing was painfully obvious, Liv wasn't going anywhere tonight, _well_, not unless he stayed and helped her out. So resolutely, he takes off his blazers, rolls up his sleeves and heads to the coffee stand, switching on the kettle.

Her eyes follow him every step, every movement, as she watches him pour too mugs of coffee- _God help her, he was staying- and now she could no longer deny it- part of her was excited at the prospect of working so closely with him – This was wrong, she shouldn't be feeling like this._

He walks back over to her, "Here you go…"

Despite her rational self she doesn't protest and takes the offered mug of coffee, her fingers accidently brushing his… "Thanks".

"Right then, scoot over… Let's get this finished!" He states, taking a seat beside her and grinning at her warmly.

As charming as ever she can't help but think, just as she can't seem to hide the unbidden smile that graces her lips too. The last shred of her resistance lifting… "Fine, seeing as you're here, you might as well make yourself useful…"

Looking at her intently, he asks… "_So_, where would you have me start?"

She swallows. His sexy baritone still hanging in the air, as suddenly the atmosphere between them shifts… Blue cobalt now meeting brown; bodies so close she can feel his heat radiating through his shirt, her every nerve on end, alert and aware of him… All thoughts of work abandoned.

_Start by kissing me..._

But if she dared to answer him truthfully, would he? Or would he be firing her?

_Was she really alone in this?_

Mouth dry, she involuntary wets her lips; causing his eyes to cast downwards, staring at them. When he eventually looks back up at her, the desire hidden in their depths can no longer be denied. He wants her.

He bridges closer. "_Liv_…"

Her heart begins to race, as she realises she doesn't have the power to resist him- not anymore. And when his lips finally meet hers, it takes very little coaxing for her to fully open up to him, allowing him to venture further. A moan escaping her, as his tongue gently begins to massage her, caressing her into a state of bliss. Soft at first and then increasingly demanding, he devours her and she happily lets him, until the need for air becomes too great to ignore, and they breathlessly break apart.

However, the loss of contact soon breaks the spell, as the realisation of what they've done starts to sink in. She backs off- placing her hand over her mouth… Wanting to ease her guilt, Fitz reaches for her, but she shakes her head…

"No… I, _we_ can't do this…"

"Liv…"He reaches for her again.

"No stop", she pushes him away, as if burned by his touch… "_Why_, why did you kiss me… _why did I let you…?"_ She's trembling, she has never looked more frightened, and he wants nothing more than to hold her and tell her it's going to be okay. But he knows he would be lying. She was right, this shouldn't have happened.

"You're married…"

"I know…"

"And I'm… _I'm…_" She doesn't want to say it, but as much as they would like to deny it, it was staring them both in the face… "I'm black and you're white… and this…" She motions between them… "This could never work…"

"Liv, I've never cared about skin colour…"

Angered, she yells… "Who cares what you think Fitz, it's what everyone else will think… And they'd blame me, they'd curse me out… Label me as a nothing but a _black_ whore…"

"Don't say things like that Liv…"

"_Why_, because it's true? You and I both know they'd think it- _say it…_ Why else would you do it Fitz, _you tell me!?_ Unless of course that's what this is about…" She looks at him accusingly, overrun with emotion as Edison's words of warning comes to the forefront of her mind.

However he's horrified that she could even think such a thing… "No Liv, NEVER… Never think that, do you hear me?! And you're right, of course you are, I should have never kissed you like that… but I couldn't stop myself… because I've wanted to, so badly, for weeks now- because the more time I spend with you; the more I get to know you, is the more I can't seem to get you off my mind…"

She shakes her head… "This can't happen Fitz… _It can't…"_

He slowly starts to move towards her… "Don't you think I know that… but I can't help how I feel, and clearly neither can you, otherwise you wouldn't have kissed me back." He bridges even closer, "this whole time I wondered if you felt the same, but now I know you feel it too; this connection we have- it's _real_ Liv…"

Tears fill her eyes… "Maybe so, but it's wrong… You have a wife, a family… We can't do this Fitz… We need to see it for what is was… a mistake, nothing more and put it behind us, before things get out of hand."

Now standing directly in front of her, he stares into her eyes as he questions heavily… "And do you think you can do that Liv… Just ignore whatever this is between us- and pretend like it never happened? Because honestly, I don't think I can…"


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6

He told her that he never loved Mellie; that their marriage had been purely for show. Marrying Mellie had been a part of his father's great master plan to place him on the political roster. A man without a wife or family was never elected to office; American citizens didn't relate, they didn't trust a single man. So therefore Fitz married Mellie. Their families had known each other for years, and as kids they attended the same school, and then later on the same college. They had grown as friends over that time; so when it came to choosing a wife she seemed the ideal candidate. And like his father, Mellie dreamed of a role in politics and was incredibly driven. If she was a man, she's probably would have ran for State Governor herself.

And for the first couple of years things were good. When Mellie gave birth to their first child, she had made him the happiest man in the world. Becoming a father meant everything to him, and when his daughter followed a year and a half later, he felt well and truly blessed. Mellie however had never been the maternal type, but in order to give Fitz the family he wanted, she knew she had to make necessary sacrifices. And as far as she was concerned she had fulfilled her part of the deal, and therefore demanded that Fitz keep to his end of it; by running for State Governor. She wanted to be first lady one day, and she honestly believed that Fitz had the makings of a fine president. But in order for that to happen, she first had to tailor his image to suit that of the American people and Office. She was relentless, and worked tirelessly in getting her husband involved in as many political organisations and charity events as possible, and thus successfully making him a well-known figure in the public eye. But Fitz was only interested in the charity aspect of it; giving back to the community and helping others- that was where his true strength lied; whereas running for State Governor was just something he had promised to pursue for Mellie and his father's sake- he didn't necessarily want it for himself.

It was fair to say that Fitz had spent the majority of his life trying to please others, and it wasn't until he met Olivia, that he came to the decision that life should also be about pleasing ones self. And nothing pleased him more, than having Olivia in his arms, holding her, kissing her and stealing a few precious moments… He needed to be with her, even if it meant giving up everything. However, what he wanted with Liv would be classed as taboo in the eyes of others. Leaving his wife, would be seen as immoral- he might as well kiss his political campaign goodbye. But to leave his wife, a white woman for a black woman, that was unheard of in this country, and he suspected extremely dangerous, especially for Olivia; once the cat was let out of the proverbial bag. America was not ready to accept interracial couples, let alone one that had sprung from the act of adultery; because that was what he was doing; he was actively cheating on his wife, physically as well as emotionally. And although he and Olivia had refrained from being intimate with one another- _knowing that once they went there, there was no turning back-_ both of them knew that they were only prolonging the inevitable. Their desire to be together and to consummate their love, was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. At first they had been scared to say the words aloud, but they knew that what they felt for each other went beyond the realms of lust and need.

They had fallen hard and fast.

Olivia had tried her best to fight it. Although she couldn't deny her attraction to Fitz, she was wracked with guilt every time they came together. She believed in the sanctity of marriage, and even with the knowledge that Fitz never loved Mellie- that didn't make what they were doing any easier. If her own father knew what she was getting herself into, he would be disgusted and would probably do what she couldn't do; bring an end to it immediately. She couldn't tell anyone what was happening, it was far too risky; but by having to keep her affair with Fitz a secret and having no-one to confine in, also meant that when she wasn't with him, she was left to face her guilt and fears entirely alone. And it was beginning to take a toll on her. Even at work; she was finding it extremely hard to stay focused, and had been caught making amateur mistakes; all because her judgement was off.

Quinn and Abby had noticed it too, and had questioned her about it. But she remained silent and told them nothing, shutting them out.

She loved Fitz, _but was love really enough? _ How could be it, when their future was so uncertain?

xxxxxxxxx

She watches on, as Fitz sees Quinn and Abby out the door. "Night Ladies, see you tomorrow."

As soon as the coast is clear, she plans on having it out with him, because quite frankly she can't carry on like this. This affair was slowly eating away at her.

After locking the door and drawing the shutters, he hurries back over to her, desperate to hold her. But when she shies away from all of his advances, he halts his efforts and takes a long hard look at her. He doesn't fail to notice the tears presently filling her eyes… "Livvie, what's going on?"

"_I'm sorry, but_ I can't do this anymore Fitz…" She admits brokenly… "I thought I could, because I genuinely believed we had something, but now- I'm not so sure?"

"But I don't understand, where is this all coming from?" He looks at her perplexed, wondering what could have brought this on. They were fine yesterday, and yet here she was talking about ending it.

"It's coming from the fact that I can barely look at myself in the mirror these days, and when I do I don't even recognise the person staring back at me… _ An adulterer, a liar…_ that's not who I'm supposed to be… I'm not me any more; I've changed, and I'm not the only one that has noticed it… Quinn and Abby see it too, in fact they won't drop the matter, despite how hard I try to convince them otherwise, and at this rate it will only be a matter of time before others realise it too!"

"Liv, I've told you, as soon as you give me the go ahead, I'll leave Mellie, its as simple as that…"

"_And then what?_ We'll run off into the sunset, and live happily ever after… _Is that it?_ What about your career, what and your kids?"

"I know it won't be easy Liv, but I'm ready for the fight; just as long as I have you with beside me, that's all that matters".

"But what if I don't want to fight. What if I want to walk down the street, hand in hand with the man I love and not be cursed or judged, for loving someone who is different from me; or for loving a man, who in the eyes of the God belongs to someone else? _How can any happiness come from that?"_

He strokes her cheek, wiping away the evidence of her distress… "My sweet baby, don't you know that happiness stems from love? And I love you Liv, and I know you love me too. I just need you to have a little faith, and believe, as I do- that our love will guide us through. I was a coward when I settled for Mellie- but I refuse to be that man anymore… The man too afraid to make his own choices in life, and live his own dreams. I will not turn away from happiness, especially when it's clear to me that it's wrapped up in you."

"I'm so scared Fitz…" she confesses, "I'm scared that what the future holds for us, is nothing but hurt and pain".

"I know, and I'm scared too… but having you beside me is all the courage I need. All I ask is that you'll let be the same for you? _Can you do that baby?"_

She nods her head in acquiesce, "_Yes_, yes I can."

"Come here…"

This time she welcomes his embrace, burying her head it in the crook of his neck, and squeezes him ever so tightly. And as she softly whispers she loves him; regardless of what lies ahead, he knows with all certainty- that he's exactly where he's supposed to be.


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7

At 23 years of age you would think that you were past the stage of having to lie to your parents, in order to sneak out with your boyfriend- but it seemed dating a man that 12 years older than you, who happened to be married and whose skin colour seemed to socially conflict with your own, had clearly not been taken into consideration when that assumption had been made.

Her affair with Fitz had been going on for nearly 2 months now, and with each passing day they were getting more and more entwined. Being with Fitz made her feel like a different person, she used to be so reserved and level headed, but when she was with him she felt wild and frivolous. He gave her a taste of adventure, and passion that she never knew existed. Her body reacted to his every touch; like putty in his hands he could mould her to his every will, and with each stolen moment they shared it brought them even closer to taking that final plunge.

The first time the subject of sex was brought up, it had shortly followed a heavy make out session at the office. They had started kissing, and before they knew it, Fitz had lifted her up and placed her on the edge of a desk, before parting her legs and resting himself between them. It was the first time she felt the evidence of his arousal, as it strained beneath the confines of his trousers; desperately seeking her out. The feel of him, so intimately pressed against her had set her nerves on edge. However, it wasn't until she felt his hands slowly rise up her thighs and brush against her cotton panties that her years of abstinence and self-control finally kicked into place, and she reached down stopping him… "_Fitz… we need to stop…_" she tells him in a breathy whisper.

"_Liv...?_" He looks at her questioningly, immediately picking up on the anxiety in her voice… "_Oh God_, I'm so sorry, please forgive me- I didn't mean to presume…"

She places her hand on his chest, cutting him off… "No, you've done nothing wrong, i_t's me…_ It's just, _I've never…_" She struggles to get the rest of her words out, as a wave of shyness overcomes her.

Realisation quickly settling in; he gently tilts her head up, meeting her with his eyes, as he asks… "Liv, are trying to tell me that you're a virgin?"

She pauses, suddenly afraid of what his reaction will be; worried that he'll treat her differently now. Nervous, she bites her lip, before slowly nodding her head and giving him all the confirmation he needs.

"_Oh Liv_, my sweet, sweet Liv…" He strokes her face lovingly, keen to erase any discomfort that she might be facing. "Trust me, you have no reason to be embarrassed, there's nothing wrong with wanting to wait, if that's what you want?"

Despite the depth of her feelings at that time, deep down Liv knew she wasn't ready, and when she told Fitz that, he was the perfect gentleman, completely understanding, as he reassured her that he was more than willing to wait and take it slow. He wouldn't dream of rushing her into something that she wasn't ready for.

Only now, 4 weeks later the sexual chemistry between her and Fitz had grown too strong to placate; she loved him and was no longer willing to wait. Liv knew what she wanted, and tonight she was going to have all of him to herself.

Fitz was the one.


	8. Chapter 8

Part 8

"I don't want to leave you," she whispers desperately, resting her head against his, as he looks at her adoringly… "Neither do I, if only we could turn this car around and head back to our room, where we just… _God this is killing me…_" he breathes. "I don't think I'll ever be okay with you leaving me, even if it's only till tomorrow…"

"Fitz, I want you to know, that I will never forget what we shared tonight". She giggles playfully… "I think you have spoiled me for all other men…"

"Good." He smiles in male prowess, "Because I have no intention of sharing you with anyone else… you're mine now."

"I don't want nobody else…" She tells him fervently, before leaning forward and stealing another kiss. She simply can't get enough of him, and the same applies to him as well, as his soft lips happily tangle with hers, causing her to melt against him.

Begrudgingly, she forces herself to part from his sinful lure… "Fitz, I have to go…" she says with regret, as she looks down at her watch; her father was expecting her home hours ago- he was bound to hit the roof when she got in.

"I know, I've probably got you in enough trouble as it is… are you sure you'll be alright?"

"Daddy will be angry, but only because he's over protective, he'd never hurt me. Yell at me maybe, sure- but I can handle that."

He looks at her guilty… "Liv I wish this was different, I wish we didn't have to hide and sneak around- you deserve so much more and yet I feel powerless to give it to you…"

"_Sssh_, don't say another word- it is what it is. True, it's far from ideal- but despite it all, I love you Fitz, otherwise tonight would have never happened. Rightly or wrongly, you're the man who makes me feel whole and I can't choose to ignore that, even if I tried to." She smiles… "You and me, what we're doing is the unthinkable- it's bound to get a little bit messy from time to time."

"_Messy?_" He laughs, "More like plain old insanity! But seriously, if it means I can get the chance to experience love, _real love that is_-with someone as amazing as you are; then it's totally worth it."

Touched. She lovingly strokes his face, before pulling him in for one final peck on the lips… "I love you so much… but I'm definitely going to go now, otherwise I might never leave."

"You're right, go… and I love you too Liv."

"_See you tomorrow?" _She asks hopefully.

"Wild horses couldn't drag me away…"

Waving him goodbye; watching him drive away from her, was one of the hardest things she's had to do. But now it was time to face reality. Although, the fact that her whole body was still singing in post-coital glow, meant it was not going to be an easy feat.

She could still feel him all over her; the after effects of wandering hands, his sensuous mouth and wickedly skilled tongue making sweet love to every inch of her needy flesh. And as she walked the small stretch from where he left her, to the front of her house- it was the soreness resonating between her legs, that now brought the vivid memories of Fitz slowly entering her, taking her and making her his, back to life again.

He was a remarkable lover, patient and tentative, especially in the beginning as he slowly prepared her untried body to receive him, and then hot, passionate and untamed as he surged forward, devouring her body with every last inch of him, until successfully bringing her to a fevered pitch. She had never pegged herself as a screamer, but it seemed Fitz was capable of a great many talents when it came to the art of love making. He played her like a fine flute, and she was more than willing to oblige to his ministrations.

She had always imagined what it would feel like having sex; she had heard other girls at college talk of their firsts, recalling the awkwardness of it, and the blinding pain that came from being entered for the first time… However, nothing of what they spoke of mirrored that of what she experienced with Fitz. She would be lying if she said there was no pain, of course there was a little, but with Fitz's knowledge and care he made sure to even it out, by bringing her an equal amount of pleasure with it too. He took his time with her, and the rewards of his efforts came in the sound of her breathlessly calling his name, begging him to take her harder and faster.

She blushes from head to toe as she recollects her insatiable hunger to have him buried deep inside her; it was like nothing she had felt before, all-consuming and powerful.

Lost in thought, she barely registers that she's standing at the bottom of her porch. Realising that she needs to snap out of her happy bubble, in an attempt to prepare herself for the tirade she is bound to face from her father, she tries to momentarily shake away all thoughts of Fitz.

But it as it turns out, nothing would prepare her for this.

Eli knew.


	9. Chapter 9

Part 9

"Have fun tonight?"

"_Dad!_" she exclaims, not expecting him to be sitting on the stairs waiting for her. And by the look on his face he'd been waiting there for a while- he was far from impressed.

"What time do you call this?" he seethes, just about keeping a lid on his temper. Eli was generally a very composed individual, but when he did lose his cool it wasn't a pretty sight.

Poor Liv, she didn't know how best to answer, afraid that whatever response she'll give him will not be good enough… "I'm sorry daddy, I lost track of time."

Wordlessly, he gets up from his seat on the stairs and stalks towards her. He gets close enough to smell her, which he does unnervingly. "You reek of him!" He accuses with disgust.

Realising she's been caught out, her heart begins to pound against her chest. She's so nervous, she doesn't dare to say anything else. But it seems her father has plenty to say.

Elijah was no fool, for a couple of weeks now he had been noticing a significant change in Olivia. Like the changes to her attire, still business like but yet more exposed- shorter skirts, and shirts that revealed her cleavage- then there was the make up and the perfume- Sure, she wore a little from time to time, but this was every day now, without fail. Then as circumstances would have it, all of a sudden the demands of her job had increased too, which required her to work late, particularly on Wednesday and Thursday nights he noted; where instead of six O'clock, Olivia was coming home around eight/nine O'clock- looking more like the cat who'd got the cream, than an employee exhausted from working a ten hour day. At first, he had hoped this behaviour was down to Edison. The fact that she seemed to be meeting up with him regularly these days, he just assumed that the two were connected, that maybe she was starting to fall for him and had been sneaking off to see him. However three days ago, when Elijah went over to the Davis' residence to see Edison's father, Edison also happened to be there. So of course he questioned him about Olivia, ready to have the man to man speech about making an honest woman out of her, however much to his surprise Edison revealed that he hadn't seen Olivia is over a month. _A month!_

**_"Are you sure?" He had asked him… "Because two nights ago Olivia said she was going out to see you"._**

**_"No Mr Pope, she did not, in fact I was here at home with my father that night."_**

**_"So you and Olivia are not going out this Friday night?"_**

**_Edison had shook his head from side to side… "No Sir, not that I know off…"_**

It was now the early hours of Saturday morning, which meant one thing, his daughter was messing around with someone else- someone that she didn't want him to know about.

"Who are you sleeping with?" He asks directly, skirting around the fact was something he was no longer prepared to do.

Olivia looks at him wide eyed. Shocked… _How could he know? Was it really that obvious? Should she deny it?_

She doesn't know what she should do or say, so instead she says nothing. But this only seems to enrage her father further… "Do you not understand what I've asked?! _Okay fine,_ well let me put it this way… What man has got you raising your skirt and opening your knees; giving it away like a common _whore_?"

The vulgarity of his words have the desired effect, she's feels completely degraded. With just one single blow, he has managed to cheapen her special night with Fitz. Her eyes begin to sting with tears, she doesn't want to hear any more.

"I wouldn't even mind if it was Edison- but I know it's not him, just as I know you lied about going out with him tonight. So I ask again… who is he?"

"_Daddy, please…_" she weeps.

Seeing her tear up, he decides to take a gentler approach… "Baby girl, please just tell me who has been causing you to lie to me? Who has you all turned out, and forgetting who you are… because whoever he is he can't be good news, because you have not seen fit to introduce him to me, and that in itself speaks volumes…"

"It's not like that Daddy, he's a good guy… it's just complicated…"

"Complicated how?"

She looks away ashamed… "_I can't say…_"

"Can't or won't?!" He's beginning to lose his patience again… "Listen here, you're my daughter and I love you, but understand this- as long as you live under my roof you will have to abide by my rules… therefore this affair must come to an end, or alternatively you tell me who he is, so I can judge whether or not he is good enough for my daughter, otherwise you are out on your own… Your mother, god rest her soul, she and I did not make the sacrifices we did for you to blow it all away on some flighty romance, that by the sounds of it will only break your heart."

"I love him Daddy…" she confesses.

"_You love him? _ And you see a future with him, is that it?"

"I don't know…" she answers truthfully, painfully… "I'd like one with him, but I don't know if it's possible, because it's…"

"...Complicated." Eli finishes off, "You said… So, what is this complication exactly? Is he married?"

She can barely look her father in the eye.

"Oh my God, that's it isn't it…?"

The façade that she and Fitz can make this work, the one that she's been holding on to for the past two months is starting to crumble fast before her eyes, and her father's too, as the realisation of her situation fully sinks in and breaks her.

"For goodness sake Olivia, are you stupid! A married man, what the hell was you thinking?!" He looks at her with disappointment, before adding callously… "It will never work, you know that right? Even if he leaves his wife, a cheat is always a cheat… He'll do the same to you one day too, I'm sure…"

"No, he's not like that… Neither of us planned this, it just happened… We fell in love, besides he never loved his wife…"

"Oh Liv, my sweet girl, how naive you are… don't you see that's the oldest trick in the book. Making you believe that he's in a loveless marriage, so that you can feel sorry for him, pity him even, and then that way you are justified in dropping your panties in a bid to comfort him, and reaffirm that it's okay for him to love you, and for you to love him back- with no guilt attached!"

"You're wrong, there is guilt... loads of it- but I can't ignore how I feel about him and neither can he…"

Eli shakes his head, he really believed she was smarter than this… "So give me the plan, he files for divorce and leaves his wife- is that next step?"

"He wants to, but it's not as simple as that…"

"_Simple!_" He laughs, "How can any of this be simple! You're screwing a married man for Christ sake! I just hope you were smart enough to use protection, because the last thing you need is an illegitimate baby to add to the mix, because believe me young lady, I for one will not be there to hold your hand through that particular tragedy-because that is what it will be- _TRAGIC!_ Your entire future shot, raising some married man's bastard child,_ alone…_ Is that what you want?!"

"No, of course not- I don't want it to be like that, but no matter how hard I try to fight it, I can't help it- I love him."

Elijah starts to pace up and down… "_God_, when I get my hands on this man, I'm going to ring his bloody neck!"

"_Dad!_"

"He doesn't deserve you, _YOU_ deserve better than this Liv… Who is he, tell me… I want to know, so I can tell him to leave you the hell alone! It's bad enough that he's sullied your virtue, I won't let him ruin your life as well." He suddenly stops pacing, and stands in front of her head on, placing his hands on her shoulders, demanding… "Tell me who he is!"


	10. Chapter 10

Part 10

Olivia knew that if she told her father the truth all hell would break loose.

Letting it slip that he was married was bad enough, but to then reveal the rest; that not only is he married but he has kids too, or worst of all-he's white! Elijah would then put two and two together and it wouldn't take him long before he figured out that the man she was having an affair with was in fact Fitz… His colleague, his supposed friend- the man he trusted to find her a job and look out for her. Eli would kill him, she was certain of it.

Therefore when Eli demanded that she tell him, she held on to her resolve and refused to do so.

However, unsatisfied by the outcome Elijah lost the little composure he had left- and started firing a string of verbal abuse towards her, calling her a harlot, a whore, a disappointment for a daughter, a disgrace- whilst also telling her that he couldn't have her living under his roof any more; not as long as she played "willing mistress" to a married man. So when he asked her to get out and she didn't, in anger he decided to physically remove her instead… Carrying her out, as she kicked and screamed in protest, hysterically begging him stop. He was so livid with her, blinded by rage that her pleas and tears had little effect on him, as he unceremoniously dumped her out onto the street.

"Daddy please don't do this…" she cried- completely broken inside.

Spitting venomously, he said… "You think you're grown enough to have an affair with a married man, then you can be grown enough to live elsewhere… I'll get your stuff dropped off at NOW on Monday, until then I don't want to see your face- you disgust me!" And with that, he turned and climbed the stairs of the porch, re-entered the house without looking back once, and slammed the door behind him. Effectively shutting her out for good.

In utter disbelief, for a while Liv remains rooted on the spot where her father had dumped her and thrown her out like trash. And in that moment, that's exactly how she felt, like trash… filthy and used up and unwanted.

_How could it all go so terribly wrong?_

Just a few hours ago Fitz had been making love to her, he had her floating on air; she was happy and she felt loved… _And now?_ Now she felt like pond scum, lower than dirt, abandoned and more alone than ever before. The whole situation had come crashing down on her like a pile of bricks; the carnage of what was once her life- now a crushing weight upon her chest, making it hard for her to breathe.

She had no-one to turn to. She could hardly call Fitz at home, that wouldn't go down well at all… She didn't dare turn to Edison for support either, seeing as he now knew she'd been using him for an alibi, without his knowledge… She then thought of seeking refuge with Quinn or Abby- but then quickly thought twice about going to them- because they were intelligent enough to read between the lines and she didn't want to give them room to suspect that something was going on between her and Fitz. So instead, she got up and started to walk to the only place she could think of going; a place where she wouldn't be turned away and somewhere she could gain a little comfort.

An hour later, reaching her destination; shattered, exhausted and emotionally wrung she falls to her knees and weeps… "_I'm so sorry Mommie… I've made a mess of everything… Please tell me what to do? I can't do this alone…"_

10 minutes later; curled up in foetal position, she lays beside her mother's grave and eventually cries herself to sleep, falling into a restless slumber- One that is unfortunately plagued with nightmares and a rocky future ahead; filled with great uncertainty.


	11. Chapter 11

Part 11

Fitz was wired. He couldn't sleep; thoughts of Liv and their time together were at the forefront of his mind. The way she felt beneath him, the way she tasted, the sound of her moans escaping her lips as he worshipped her body. She had fit him like a glove, perfect, as if she was specially made for him. God, he wanted her again; he would never stop wanting her.

He wondered if she was feeling the same, _was she thinking of him too?_ He hoped that he had made her first time special, something she will cherish forever and hold no regrets. Although, if he's honest with himself, deep down he believes he has accomplished just that; acutely aware that what they shared tonight went beyond the need of physical release; because every kiss and every stroke had been forged in love. Until Liv came into his life, he never knew love could feel like this, so overwhelming and so consuming… And as lays beside his wife, the woman he once vowed to spend the rest of his life with, he finds himself breaking those vows to make room for new ones; promising to find a way to be with Liv- out in the open and no longer hidden in the shadows. It was what she deserved.

Lost in his own world, pondering about his future with Liv- he in unaware that like him, his wife Mellie is also struggling to sleep. Her thoughts however plagued with suspicion.

As his wife, Mellie had spent the last 5 years studying Fitz; she could read him like a book. And insightful as she was, it didn't take her long to figure out that he was straying from their marital bed. Never mind the obvious signs, like the smell of another woman's perfume haplessly clinging to his shirts- or the numerous "late nights" that Fitz's had been putting in at work recently- but it was more to do with the fact that when he was home, his mind was elsewhere. No doubt it was with the very same woman he just spent the night with. The same woman who had sent her husband back home to her bathed in her scent and her sex.

Although Mellie had no delusions of grandeur when it came to her marriage with Fitz; she knew as well as he did that their marriage had been one of convenience; but she had always held onto the fact that as the mother of his children, her husband respected her enough to not lie to her or fool around. And considering Fitz grew up despising his own father for cheating, honestly she was shocked to discover that he was now heading down the same path. However, one thing was for certain, whoever this woman was, she had to be pretty special for Fitz to go against his moral code. And that's what worried her the most.

She couldn't let this woman get in the way of her plans, she worked too hard to get Fitz to where he was, to lose it all at the first hurdle. Therefore her first step in tackling this particular bump in the road, was to find out who the woman was, and then, by any means necessary get this affair shut down before it goes any further.

And in order for that to happen she would need some help; Big Jerry's help to be precise.

In the meantime, she was keeping her cards close to her chest. And in her opinion the best way to keep the upper hand of this situation was by feigning complete ignorance to her husband's extra-curricular activities. So therefore rather scrupulously, she purposefully rolls over and snuggles up against him, "_Hmmmm_, you're home…" She sighs, sounding as if she's only just waking from sleep…

Somewhat startled to find her awake, coupled with a sudden wave of remorse, sheepishly he responds… "Yes, I'm home now... Sorry I'm late…" His apology sounds weak even to his own ears, but much to his relief she accepts it, no questions asked.

_If only he knew._

"It's okay Fitz, no need to apologise-"she replies candidly, before going in and twisting the knife… "Besides, how can be mad at my husband for working late, when his only intention is to provide for his family. If anything I count myself lucky…" she snuggles in closer.

He gulps... _God forgive me!_


	12. Chapter 12

Part 12

He hated his job; considering his level of intelligence digging six feet holes in the ground at the crack of dawn, was the equivalent to watching paint dry. However it was a means to an end. Unfortunately his family came from a poor background; every single penny that his parents worked for went into the bills and the mortgage on their house, which meant there was very little left to help him pay for college. And he desperately wanted to go to college, as desperate as he needed air to breathe. So as soon as he finished high school, he went looking for work. However, the social climate dictated that not many people were hiring young black men- so he found his options were limited, therefore he had to take the first job he could get his hands on- and this so happened to be it. Harrison had been working as a grave digger, for little over a year now, and as much as he hated it- on the upside he had saved enough money to fund the first year and a half of college. Therefore by his calculations, two more years of digging would be more than sufficient to reach his end goal, and in that sense it was a sacrifice he was more than willing to make.

Having collected his plot orders, he heads to his first site. Sadly, the size of it indicated it was for a young child. Digging the kiddie plots, always put him in a sombre mood, but it also served as a harsh reminder that life was too short to waste. That's why it was vital to make the most of your life whilst you were still alive and breathing. And it was days like this, that made him even more determined to chase his dreams.

He zips up his jacket, shielding himself from the slight chill in the air. It had been a crisp morning, which meant the ground was wet with dew- which luckily for him, was the perfect conditions for digging.

But not the perfect conditions for sleeping in, as he was soon to find out.

After reaching his designated site, _he spots her..._ A prone figure in the distance, lying down amongst the graves... Praying to God that whoever it was, was still alive and not dead… he throws his spade down to the ground and immediately rushes over to assist.

_"Miss, miss... Can you hear me?"_

He takes off his jacket and quickly covers her up; she was frozen through... Now feeling for a pulse; after his attempt to wake her fails, he is washed with relief when he feels it's faint beat. At least she was alive. So he starts to shake her, hoping to rouse her in that way instead... It has the desired effect, as she moans, mumbling something incoherent.

He breathes a sigh of relief... "_Miss_, we need to get you warmed up", he explains gently, as he picks her up and carries her to the office.

30 minutes later, a few blankets bundled around her and of hot cup of tea inside her, Olivia starts to come round, finally making sense... But with that had come tears and a very frightened young lady. Harrison had tried his best to console her as she explained how she came to sleeping in a grave yard last night. She doesn't go into specifics, but he soon gathers that her father had thrown her out the house, with nothing but the clothes on her back. Which he thought was pretty harsh. No matter what she had done, he's sure she didn't deserve to be treated in such an unjust manner.

"So, what are you going to do, where are you going to stay?"

She shrugs her shoulders; her shivering finally easing off, allowing her to get her words out without the chattering of teeth… "Honestly, I don't know… All I know is that I'm not going home… I can't, not after the way he treated me…"

"Is your dad always like that?"

"That's the thing, in all my years growing up he's never so much as lifted a hand in my direction… But then again, up until last night I could do no wrong in his eyes… I was his perfect little girl. _And now…_"

"His little girl wasn't so perfect any more?" He finishes off.

She smiles wistfully… "Something like that… But it doesn't matter now anyway, even if he said I could come back home, I won't. It is time for me to leave the nest…"

"Even so Olivia, there's leaving the nest, and then there's being left destitute- you don't even have a change of clothes, and the clothes you do have are soaked through."

"Its fine, I'll sort something out…"

"Look, why don't you come back to my house… You can have a hot bath, and have something to eat… Plus my mum's about your size, you could borrow some of her clothes until yours dry off…"

"Harrison, thank you, but I don't think…" she tries to dismiss his offer, but he won't hear of it, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Listen, I know you don't know me, but considering I just saved your life, the least you can do is trust me with it a little while longer… at least until you can sort something better out…"

"That's extremely kind of you, but I don't want to impose…"

"You won't be; I mean don't get me wrong, we're not exactly rolling in money, far from it in fact, but my folks would be horrified if they found out I just let you walk out of here, without offering a helping hand."

She can tell he's not about to relent, and if she's honest with herself, she would be a fool to turn him down. So she decides that she'll stay at his place, until she can get word to Fitz. "Fine, seeing as you insist, I'll take you up on your offer, just as long as your folks agree."

"Oh they will, don't worry…" He gets up, and heads to the door… "I'll just speak to my boss, and see if I can take my break early, that way I can take you over there now."

"Okay, but if it means getting in trouble with your boss, then I can wait…"

"Nah, Huck's a good guy, if anything he'll insist that I take you… Trust me, I'll be right back."

"_Hey Harrison…_" she calls after him, halting him in his tracks as her turns back round to look at her… "Yeah?"

"Just in case I forget to say it later… Thank you."

He smiles at her. "Don't mention it, I've got your back"


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi guys, just want to apologise for the delay in posting... I blame a horrible week at work, and then followed by a crazy (but good) weekend.**

**Thanks as always though, enjoy...**

Part 13

It's amazing what a hot bath and clean fresh clothes could do for the soul. An hour ago Olivia was an emotional wreck, and now she was a woman on a mission; ready to sort her life out. Looking at the situation from a new perspective she realised that in a roundabout way, her father had done her a huge favour by throwing her out. Because now she was forced to find herself her own apartment, and with that came the freedom to do as she pleased, without daddy breathing down her neck. It also meant she was free to spend more time with Fitz.

The plan was also financially viable, she had some money in savings which she could use that for a deposit, and considering how generous Fitz had been with her salary at NOW, she was certain that she made enough money to pay for rent and also live. Olivia had it all mapped out.

In truth, all this planning and new focus provided her with a distraction that did not afford her the time to dwell on some of things that her father had said to her; albeit in anger- some of it held a great deal of truth. Yes, she loved Fitz, and yes, despite knowing that what they were doing was wrong, they had given into temptation all the same; as their need to make love to each other became too fierce to ignore, but with that held huge ramifications for his marriage to Mellie. By being with her, Fitz had committed adultery and if the knowledge of that ever came out, not only would it ruin his family, it would also ruin his future career in politics. And although Fitz had confessed time and time again, that he had no care to run for governor, she knew that he was the right man for the job, and deep down she knew that he knew it too. Their affair could cost him everything- but what she was also beginning to realise, although she favoured denial at this present moment in time- this affair would cost her just as much.

Growing up, her parents had tried their best to shelter her from the world and with it, the undeniable prejudices that still rung true in America. And to be fair, they had done a very good job in doing so; she had spent most of her childhood in blissful ignorance- happy and content, where race never really played a factor. Ironically, it wasn't until she was twelve years old, when her own mother was killed at the hands of 2 white men, during a racist attack did she eventually get a taste of it, in its cold, unjust and horrific glory. The loss of her mother had burned a hole into the heart of her family, but unlike her father who turned his grief into hatred, it drove Olivia to rise above it, striving to find a solution that would change how America viewed race, but through the eyes of the law. It had been a tall order, but if anything it kept her motivated and remained the driving force behind her success so far. And although she came across a great deal of injustice along the way, she never really feared racism, but instead always chose to face it head on.

But that was before she started having an affair with a white married man.

It was one thing to be black in land of civil unrest, but being black and sleeping with a white married man… Well, you were simply asking for it- almost begging to have a cross staked and burned on your front lawn, whilst handing them a noose to tie around your neck for good measure. As much as she tried to ignore it, because her heart dictated otherwise, she knew her affair was with Fitz was extremely dangerous, and on a great many levels too. Not only in the eyes of white men, but in the eyes of her own people too. There was no doubt about it, her father's reaction to her sleeping with a married man would have been tame in comparison to his reaction if she had told him that Mr married man was also white- and that in itself said it all. She was facing banishment from her own kind, and prosecution from the whites.

Therefore, although she may have gained new found freedom with the turn of events, she would be naïve to believe that it extended beyond that from her father, to the freedom that she required to openly pursue the man she loved.

She looks up at the clock and thinks of Fitz, they were supposed to meet at 2pm. So much had happened since they made love, she's barely had time to reflect on what they shared, or the significance of what that night meant to her. Fitz was her first, the first man she's ever trusted enough to share her body with, but more importantly share her heart with. This was huge stuff, this was love, but with it came a host of painful, devastating, life-changing and extraordinary emotions and some difficult decisions ahead. Olivia, had never been one to rule with her heart, but yet here she was now running full steam ahead, to be with someone that her head was telling her he was all so wrong. _Seriously, what was happening to her?_ Could love be that powerful, that it could completely overrule sensibility? She supposes it could be; after all look what their love had done to her and Fitz. _ God she was desperate to see him..._ To think he had no idea of what was going on, although when he does find out it will probably trouble him greatly. Because she felt troubled too. She had been so tempted to call him up, because just hearing his voice would be all the reassurance she needed right now, but she knows she can't risk Mellie answering the phone, so she relents, realising she will just have to be patient and wait it out.

In the meantime, she will hang around at Harrison's and start looking for apartments in the newspaper; hopefully that will keep her busy. Thank god for Harrison really, because if he hadn't have found her, who knows what would have happened? Such a sweet young man. She smiles wistfully, as she attributes that fortunate blessing of being found by Harrison to her Mother- her own personal guardian angel. It seems she had been watching out for her all along. Thank the heavens for her watchful eye, because right now she needed all the guidance and protection she could get.

xxxxxxx

After a long hot shower, Fitz was eager to split, because every time he looked at Mellie, or looked at his kids he was hit with a wave of guilt. He loved his children, and although he didn't love Mellie he did care for her. But when it came to Olivia- the love he felt for her ran so deep, it was like his whole body was consumed by her. How can finding the woman you were meant to be with, be so destructive to all those you love around you? _Why did life have to be so unfair?_ If he followed his head, he'll be stuck in a loveless marriage, but if he followed his heart and chose to be with Liv- he could possibly lose everything else. But losing Liv from his life was something he could not fathom, he knew it from the very first kiss, and last night when they made love it only confirmed in perfect clarity, they were meant for each other.

So where do they go from here? What was their next step?

It was a question he was saving for later; because he felt they needed to answer that one together- as two people in love, about to embark on a journey together.

Even if the path ahead was filled with mine fields.


	14. Chapter 14

Part 14

A huge sigh of relief escapes her as she sights him pulling up into the staff car park. He was running a few minutes late and for the briefest of moments she feared he might not come, that maybe he regretted what they had done; but as he flashes her a warm smile- she knows she was wrong to ever doubt him.

She watches on as he makes light work of parking up his car and rushes to her side.

"_Hi_." Despite it all, she smiles at him- just having him here was making her feel better already.

"Hi, sorry I'm late." He replies huskily, silently expressing how much he's missed her, as he lovingly cups her face, before finally pulling her in for a soft languorous kiss.

She moans ever so gently, as their tongues sweep against each other and re-connect. When they part, he wraps his arms around her and pulls her body flush against his… "I've waited all day to do that…" He tells her fervently, squeezing her tighter. She squeezes him back, breathing in his manly scent, relishing his comfort and the safety she feels from just being in his arms. And it's at that point that she finds herself letting go; allowing her pent up fears and emotions to get the better of her.

"_Hey_, what's happened?" He asks worriedly, as she buries her head into the crook of his neck, shaking slightly with the onslaught of her tears. He comforts her as best he can… "My sweet, please tell me what's wrong…" he pleads, stroking her neck, her face, her hair…

"I'm so scared…" She confesses.

"I know, me too", he admits solemnly, pulling her from him briefly to convey his understanding with his soulful eyes. He wipes away her tears, "But it's going to be okay, we'll get through this together, I promise…" She gives him a wan smile, and he takes her by the hand, "

Come on, lets get inside before someone sees us.

xxxx

There is so much she needs to tell him, however being here with him, alone and sheltered from prying eyes and feeling completely drawn to him, there is only one thing she wants to do.

She stands in front of him and runs her hands over his shoulders, then slowly up his neck and then she gently touches his cheek.

"_Liv_... Don't you think we should talk first..."

She shakes her head and places her finger on his lip, silencing him... "_Sssh_, we can talk later... Because right now, I need you..."

She starts unbuttoning his shirt, kissing a trail down his chest as inch by inch his skin is exposed to her gaze. When she gets to his last button, stripping him of his shirt, she doesn't stop her there as she continues to journey south. With hooded eyes she looks up at him as she slowly unbuckles his belt, followed by his button. The sound of his zipper, cutting through the silence sends a thrill of excitement throughout both their bodies. Fitz's moans in anticipation, realising her intention. However, being the gentleman that he is, he tells her she doesn't have to... He had stopped her from doing it last night, because he wanted her first time to be solely concentrated around her pleasure and preparing her body to receive his... But as far as she's concerned, it was now her turn to fully worship him... "I want to," she tells him without hesitation… "_Please…_"

_How could he argue with that?_

Powerless, he nods his accord, and sucks in a breath as she gently slips his briefs over his hips, and down his legs; revealing his impressive manhood, proudly standing to attention.

New to this, she touches him experimentally at first, marvelling at his size and sinew, and then growing in confidence she begins to explore him, first with her hand, then with her tongue as she takes him fully into her mouth and swallows around him. His moans of gratitude are all the encouragement she needs to carry on. And so she doesn't stop; not until she brings him to the brink and gets to taste him for the very first time.

Oh Liv," it's all he can manage; her ministrations have rendered him speechless... She rises from her position on her knees and levels him with hungry eyes. Like putty in her hands, she manoeuvres him to where she wants him. Once seated she stands between his legs... And unashamed of her need, she starts to undress, taking off her borrowed top. He's pleasantly surprised to discover she is not wearing a bra...

"My God Liv, you are so beautiful..." He compliments, reaching out and playing with her perky, needy breasts... Irresistibly, he pulls her closer capturing one of her pebbled nipples in his hot wet mouth. She almost comes undone when he starts to suckle her, sending a rush of liquid fire to her core...

"_More... please..._" She breathes, and he doesn't disappoint as his free hand start to find its way up her leg, leaving goosebumps in his wake. But when he realises that she has forgone panties as well as her bra, he has to exercise a great ammount of restraint to stop himself from self-imploding…

_Did she have any idea how sexy she was?_

When he finally reaches her centre, he is greeted with her womanly dew. She's soaking wet, more than ready for him and by the way she is mewling like a kitten in heat, he realises that he cannot delay the inevitable. He needs to be inside her and now.

Removing her skirt, he guides her over his lap, and aligns himself with her passage. "You ready for me baby…?"

"_Please_…" she responds desperately.

With a powerful thrust of his hips he surges forward, making them one. "_Uugh_…" She grimaces.

"_Livvie, are you okay?"_

"She bites her lip and nods her head, whilst bracing herself against him… "It's okay, _I'm fine…_ I'm just a little sore from last night…" she admits shyly.

"_Oh gosh_" He had totally forgotten and he feels awful about it, "Do you want me to stop?"

"No don't… I don't want you to…"

"But I don't want to hurt you…"

"You won't, not if you go slow…" and to prove just that, she rises up and then slowly sinks back down on him, urging him on… "_Just go slow…_"

And he does at first, slowly and gently until their love making eventually takes them from the chair to the floor.

xxxx

He finds a blanket and covers their cooling bodies, and she snuggles up close, sighing. "I needed that, more than you know." She whispers to him… She was finally ready to talk now. "After you dropped me off things got bad…" She trails off.

"What happened?!" he asks knowingly. "Did Eli hit the roof, because you were late?"

"That and more... Dad figured it out," she tells him plainly.

"He's figured out what exactly?"

"He found out that I was lying about going out with Edison, which meant I had to be sneaking off to be with someone else instead."

He gulps… "Does he know it's me?"

"No, but he knows enough, he knows that you're a married man…" She starts to tear up, as memories from last night start to flood back… "He called me a whore…" She chokes up. "He wanted me to reveal who I was sleeping with, and that I should end it immediately… But when I said I wouldn't, he said I had to go… So he threw me out on the street…"

His protective instincts kick in, as he squeezes her tighter... "Liv, did he hurt you?"

"Not physically, no… but it hurt all the same.

"Why didn't you call me, where did you go?" He questions, with growing concern.

"I went to my mother…"

"_You're mother?_" He looks at her perplexed at first, but then it soon registers... "You mean, you slept outside- in the rain? Liv that's not good, that's not good at all!" He's enraged now. "How could your father do this to you?!"

She explains. "He was so mad Fitz… And in a way, I can't blame him. Because what we're doing is wrong… _But yet-_ I can't seem to turn my feelings off for you…"

He kisses her on her forehead. "Trust me I know how you feel."

In afterthought... "Fitz, are we just fooling ourselves? Thinking we can make this work, whilst we destroy all those around us in the process?"

"Look at me". He tilts her head upwards, meeting her gaze… "I won't let you go, if that's what you're asking. Because I love you Liv."

"I love you too." She sniffs, overrun with emotion.

"Good, because that's all that matters right now… Like I said earlier, we will get through this together, you and me… _You hear me?_"

"I hear you…"

"He pecks her on the lips. "_Mmmm_… So, first things first, we need to find you somewhere to live"


	15. Chapter 15

Part 15

"I'm telling you Jerry, he's with her right now; I know it!" She fumes.

"Mellie calm down… We don't know for sure, besides even if he is stepping out on you- It won't last, it can't! He's about to run for Governor!"

"Exactly Jerry, and if other people were to find out, which wouldn't be hard considering he's hardly discreet- it would be far too great a scandal; his campaign would never recover from that, and then he won't be elected!"

"You're right." Jerry agrees; like Mellie, this was something he could not afford to happen, he worked too hard to get his son to where he was now… "Look, leave it with me… I'll set a tail on him and find out who the woman is. And then I'll put a stop to it."

"What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry yourself with the minor details Mellie... Just rest assure it will be handled, one way or another."

xxxx

"Liv, I'm not too sure about this?"

"Fitz, it's fine- he's a nice young man, who stepped in when I really needed it- there's no ulterior motive here. Besides, he lives with his parents. I'm even wearing his mother's clothes- I'm surprised you didn't notice."

He smirks. "Actually, I did wonder…"

She gasps, hitting him playfully on the arm. "What are you trying to say? I don't look good, is that it?"

"Are you kidding me?!" he chuckles… "You my dear would look beautiful wearing nothing but a potato sack".

"_Aaaawww_, you're such a charmer… no wonder I fell for you." She leans in and gives him a kiss, but when they part his smile in inverted, suddenly turning serious again. He is really against the idea of her staying with strangers. "I don't know Liv, I think I should meet with this Harrison guy before I let you stay…"

She strokes his cheek… "Harrison is harmless, and it's only for tonight, a few days at most- just until we find a place… If only my dad threw me out mid-week_, huh?"_ she laughs trying but failing to lighten the mood.

"Liv, that's not funny."

She pouts. "I know, sorry, it's far from funny but it is what it is I guess." She pauses. "I don't think meeting with Harrison is such a good idea, he might put two and two together, and god only knows how he'll react to the idea of us? Probably bad… More than likely he'll turn round and say, _"I'm sorry you can't stay",_ and then what?"

"I'll put you up in a motel for the night." He offers.

She declines. "Honestly, I'd feel safer staying with Harrison and his family... Trust me, they're good people. Besides, I'd rather not be alone right now."

He gives in… "_Fine_, I trust you, and your judgement… but the first sign of anything untoward, you call me… I don't care if Mellie answers, just say you need to speak to me urgently about a case or something_- promise me?"_

"I promise, but I won't have to. _I'll be fine…_ Now give me another kiss, one that will last me till tomorrow."

He doesn't disappoint.


	16. Chapter 16

Part 16

"Remember Liv if you don't find a place today, you can stay with us until you do."

She smiles. "Harrison, you and your folks have been so kind to me, honestly I don't know how I will repay you- but I'll find a way."

"Nonsense, we're just happy to help. Besides, mum has enjoyed the company, it's been nice to have the male to female ratio balanced out for once."

She laughs, "Oh, I suspect your mum can hold her ground better than the rest of us. She's such a strong woman… I've never met anyone that works as hard as her."

"She's pretty amazing, watching her and Pops over the years, they've taught me that nothing comes free in life, you have to work hard for it. Whether it's money, friendship or love, it's all relative."

She thinks upon her own situation with Fitz… "She's so right", she replies all too knowingly.

"_So,_ your dad…" He's reluctant to bring it up, but he wants to make sure she's prepared… "Are you ready to face him today?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know… Honestly, I'm not really looking forward to it. The last time we exchanged words, something within me shattered… My trust, my confidence in him, or the notion that he will always love me no matter what- it's all been destroyed, and I don't think it can ever be repaired."

He sighs, realising the impact of her father's actions had not only left her incredibly vulnerable it had also left her emotionally scarred as well. "Liv, what your Dad did was awful- we all agree, but I find it hard to believe that after one fight, he can stop loving you… Not only because you're his daughter, cause everyone knows that sort of love is unconditional, but if anything, the death of your mother inevitably brought the two of you closer than ever; and for the last 10 years or so, you have been the only person in his life that matters."

Harrison had a fair point, but none of it made a difference, because two nights ago she had witnessed a side of her father that she did not know, and never wished to see again… "You don't understand, I've never seen him so angry before…" she recalls painfully, "It was like he was another person- no longer my father, but instead this heartless man, who was hell bent on crushing me under his foot. All because he couldn't get me to conform to his will. It was scary and quite frankly, even if I forgive him; which I probably will, I don't think I'll ever be able to forget."

Considering he's only known her for a few days, it's amazing how much it affects him to see her like this; so despondent. He's not sure where she went yesterday, or who she was with- although he highly suspects she was with the very guy that had come in between her and her father, but regardless of that- when she returned he thought he saw a renewed spark in her- only now, waking up and having to face reality once again, that spark had disappeared. And what was left was the woman he was first met. She might not be laying aside a gravestone, soaked through to the bone, cold and defenceless, but right now- emotionally she wasn't far from that place.

"Liv, just give it time… I know it's hard, but I'm sure things will sort themselves out in the long run."

She gives him a wan smile… "_Maybe_… I hope so."

And in response he gives her a much needed hug, and she reciprocates gratefully. "Sadly I've got to rush off, work calls… but l just want to say, if it all works out well, and you manage to find a place today; which for your sake I hope it does- remember you are always welcomed here… for dinner, for a rant, for whatever takes your fancy."

"If I didn't know you had a girlfriend, that you were head over heels for, I'd think you were hitting on me Mister…" she teases, blinking away her unshed tears.

"Hey, that would be wrong on so many levels… If anything, you're more like the little sister I never had, even if you are technically older than me…" he winks.

She laughs, "Damsel in distress here, the title of _"little sister"_ sounds about right to me."

Sounding hopeful... "Promise you'll keep in touch."

"I will, I promise."

He leans in and gives her a chase kiss on the cheek. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"You too Harrison, and thanks for everything, you've been a life saver."

"Don't mention it, see you around Liv."

Despite all the madness going on in her life, she was certain on one thing, Harrison was a true friend. And as his mother presently calls her to the table for breakfast, she realises just how fortunate she was to have met such a welcoming and generous bunch of people. "_Coming Mrs Wright._"

xxxxxx

"When Liv got into work, she was all about the house hunt, or in her case- more like the tiny affordable flat hunt… But either way, she was determined to find something today. Despite the Wrights, who had kindly offered her a place to stay in the interim, the urgency to find a flat was now solely driven by the need to secure her independence, and sort her life out. Her life had become unbalanced, and she needed to fix it.

Fitz said he'd be in early and help her with it, but in the meantime she would make a few phone calls of her own; but from the confines of his office, to afford her a little privacy. Quinn and Abby had been fishing ever since she arrived, immediately noticing her dowdy attire and appearance, hardly the immaculately dressed, and straight laced Olivia Pope that they had grown accustomed to. Something was definitely off. Although, in fairness they had been thinking that for a while now- but Liv had been a closed book on the matter. So instead they kept a constant vigil on her, spurred on by their concerns. They were extremely worried about her.

"Hi ladies." Fitz announces his arrival brightly, clutching a bag of freshly baked pastries and dressed in weekend attire. Which was a first, because neither lady had seen him in anything but a suit.

_First Liv, now him, what was going on with the universe? _

"You look remarkably casual today, Mr Grant." Abby points out poignantly, "Are you slipping off somewhere nice?"

"Something like that, I won't be working in the office for very long today, because I have plans to help a friend out later on, so a suit and tie was hardly practical." He offers as a reasonable explanation, whilst looking around for Liv. He has yet to spot her. "_Where is everyone? _ Where are the founders, where's Miss Pope?"

"The founders are in the conference room with members of the NAACP, and Liv is in your office…"

"My office?"

"Yes, she said she needed to make some private calls…" Quinn tells him sceptically. As Abby adds matter-of-factly... "Something's going on with her Mr Grant."

Liv was right, these two women didn't miss a trick. "No, I'm sure she's fine…" He tries his best to down play the situation. "You know how Miss Pope gets when she's in the zone, she will throw herself into her work, and forgets everyone else…" _Oh boy_, he can tell they're not buying it, not today, Abby especially… "No, workaholic Liv we know and love, the Liv in your office right now is different, she's completely closed off and distant; she's hiding something, and whatever it is it's big."

Not wanting to give anything else away, he remains expressionless as he says… "Okay, well in that case let me have a word with her… I've known her a long time, so if anything is going on, I'm sure I can get to the bottom of it… Leave it with me Ladies."

"Thanks Mr Grant, we appreciate it."

For now, crisis averted, as he strolls over to his office, with a bear claw in tow.

xxxxx

When he enters, she looks up at him from the desk, appearing incredibly stressed out and fed up.

"_Hey_, you alright?"

"No not really".

He quickly closes the door behind him, and rushes to her… "What's going on?"

"There's nothing out there, well nothing I can afford anyway, even with my savings, it won't be enough… I'm screwed!"

"_Hey, now…_ enough of that defeatist attitude Miss Pope, it's not becoming of you. Not only that, certain friends of yours are starting to figure things out."

"You mean, Quinn and Abby?"

"Indeed, they're worried about you, and you getting so worked up over this housing situation is not helping matters… Didn't I say I'd help you with that- why didn't you wait for me?" He scolds her in jest.

She looks at him straight- faced… "Please don't act surprised by this, it's me we're talking about."

"_Touché_, and that is why I come bearing sugary treats, to keep you happily distracted." He tears off some of the Bear claw and feeds it to her.

"_Mmmmm_, delicious..."

"_I know!_ Now off you go, go act normal- if that is at all possible, and leave the rest to me. I'll sort it out, okay?"

She gives him a quick peck, leaving frosting in her wake… "Thank you".

Licking the frosting from his lip, he smiles pleasantly… "No thank you, and remind me to kiss you more often after eating bear claws- I didn't think you could taste any more delectable, but I was wrong". He says suggestively.

She blushes. "You're a naughty boy Mr Grant".

"Only with you, sweet baby."

She leaves the office feeling lighter, knowing she can always rely on him to make her feel better… Albeit short lived it seems- if Quinn's expression is anything to go by…

"Liv, your dad's here."


	17. Chapter 17

Part 17

"Dad."

"Olivia."

The whole room is engulfed in silence. The atmosphere between father and daughter is so thick and so palpable it makes those partied to it extremely uncomfortable.

"I have your stuff in the back of the car…"Eli tells her stoically, "Although, if you choose to be honest with me, and give up this charade then maybe I can take them back home…"

Her expression goes from one of anger to mortification. "Dad, please not here…" she pleads, becoming increasingly distressed by his flippant behaviour; not seeming to care who hears or knows- or worse, unwilling to see his own faults in the way he has handled this situation, and is still handling it.

"Mr Pope, Liv's right…" Quinn wisely intervenes, as much as she would like to know what was going on with Liv, finding out publicly and at her emotional expensive was not right. Abby was in agreement too… "Please, why don't you two take this somewhere private?" She points towards the interview room, encouraging them to go in there.

Olivia looks at both of them gratefully, and whispers thanks… "Excuse us."

As soon as she closes the door behind them, she lets rip… "What the hell was that, must you come to my place of work and embarrass me, haven't you done enough?!"

"That's rich coming from you?" he retorts… "Or have you forgotten you're the one who is sleeping with a married man!"

"I realise that what I'm doing is deemed immoral, but throwing me out the house the way you did… Leaving me with nothing but the clothes on my back, that was plain cruel… You hurt me…"

He can't help but feel a tad bit remorseful. "Look, maybe I handled it wrongly, but I was angry and you needed to be taught a lesson…"

"A lesson in what exactly? How to survive a night on the streets!"

Guiltily, he replies… "What else was I supposed to do Liv? Tell you everything will be fine, that all will be forgiven- When you're not even willing to let this man go- He's not yours Liv, he belongs to someone else… Don't you see that?"

She shakes her head… "I love him, I wish I could give him up- but I can't. If you can't accept that and that makes me, as you so eloquently put it the other night, a _"whore" _then so be it… And if I can't live under your roof because of that, then I guess I have no other choice but to find somewhere else to lay my head."

"So you're determined to go through this! You're willing to allow this worthless excuse of a man to drive a wedge between us, and destroy our family…"

"No daddy, you did that when you stopped treating me like your daughter."

Her comment strikes him hard. "_Liv_…"

"Forget it, _don't_… Let's just agree to disagree, _okay?_ You've said your piece, and so have I… So why don't you just let me grab get my stuff, and then you can be on your way."

He reaches out, stopping her from walking past him… "I know I'm not perfect Liv, but let's get one thing straight, I will always be your father. Granted, I might go about it the wrong way from time to time, but no father wants to see his daughter get hurt… And I hope you can believe me when I say it wasn't my intention to hurt you; which I know I did and I'm sorry- but Liv your stubbornness is preventing you from seeing the bigger picture here, because believe me, allowing this affair to continue will be the ruin of you…"

She doesn't want to hear anymore… "Have you finished?"

"For now, yes, I suppose so…"

"Good, then let me pass please…"

Reluctantly, he lets her by. "You're making a mistake Liv." He warns with trepidation, as she opens the door and happens to walk right into Fitz- who had been waiting for her patiently on the other side.

_"You okay?"_ he whispers discretely.

"I'm fine." She brushes him off icily, on the verge of losing her composure. It's killing him, not being able to hold her right now, although he suspects if he did she would surely crumble. However, it's when he sees Eli, with his solemn expression that the magnitude of their deception suddenly comes crashing home. He was supposed to be his friend, but yet unbeknownst to Eli he was now the cause of his relationship with his daughter falling apart. He felt sick to his stomach.

"_Fitz._" Eli greets him with a subtle nod of the head, which he returns despite himself; finding it incredibly difficult to look him in the eye, convinced that he will sense his guilt if he does. "_Eli…_"

"Can I have a word please?"

Upon her father's request, Olivia turns and looks at Fitz like a doe caught in headlights, frightened at the prospect of her father and Fitz being alone…

"_Sure_." Fitz agrees, ignoring her silent protest and belying his true feelings, which was not that far removed from Liv's.

He follows Eli to his car.

"Do you know anything about this?"

"Only from what I could make out from the other side of the door." He answers carefully.

"Some married man is taking my baby girl for a ride, and she's foolish enough to believe she loves him… Believe me Fitz if I get my hands on this guy, I'm going to go down for murder."

He swallows nervously. "I don't know what to say Eli…"

"What can you say? Other than it's completely messed up. _God_, I never thought it would be my daughter involved in something like this… _Where did I go wrong?"_

"You can't blame yourself Eli…"

"You're right, I should blame _him_… The bastard, he did this to her!" He spits in rage. "Look, I need you to do me a favour Fitz."

"What do you want me to do?" He asks, although he has a good idea as to where this is going…

"I need you to keep a close eye on her… Let me know if you see anyone sniffing around her, and as soon as you do, let me know… If she won't listen to reason, maybe he will…"

_Fitz had guessed correctly._

"_So_, what do you say?"

"Sure Eli, I'll look out for her." _He couldn't feel any lower if he tried._

"Good man, I owe you one…" Eli pats him on the back, grateful to have him on board, before popping open the boot of his trunk and taking out one of the many black sacks filled with Liv's belongings… "_Here_, seeing as you're dressed for the occasion, you can help me with these…"


	18. Chapter 18

Part 18

_Fitz walks in on Quinn and Abby comforting Liv, as he brings in her belongings._

"Oh Liv, it's going to be okay sweetheart."

"No it's not… everything is such a mess…" She weeps, as both women look at her with expressions close to pity.

"How much did you hear exactly?"

"Enough to work out what's been going on with you lately." Quinn admits ruefully.

"Oh God." Liv exclaims, resting her head in her hands.

"_Hey_, no-one's casting stones here… I for one would be the last person to pass judgement, god knows I've made my own fair share of mistakes." Abby assures her.

Quinn however has to remain true to herself; although she cares about Liv she cannot condone her behaviour. "But a married man? Seriously Liv, what was you thinking?"

"_Quinn, that's enough_", Abby chastises, but Quinn dismisses her and presses on… "No Abby, it has to be said," She turns to Liv once again… "What happened? A few months ago you told us that you were saving yourself for someone special… and now…"

_Sensing his presence in the room, Liv takes a quick glances over at Fitz, who looks at her riddled with guilt… This was all his fault and he blames himself entirely. He was the married one, he should have known better and fought harder to ward off his feelings for her, but he didn't- couldn't. And now everything was falling apart. Something had to be done. _

Focusing back on Quinn- "It know it may sound crazy, and completely unethical but I can't ignore how I feel- I love him…"

Quinn sighs, "Yes, you're right, this is crazy… So what now? Your father has obviously kicked you out- have you found somewhere else to stay?"

Exasperated. "No, that's what I was trying to do this morning, but failed miserably. I can't seem to find anything within my price bracket, and the few places I can afford are not worth living in."

Struck with a light bulb moment Abby immediately jumps up, offering a brilliant solution… "Move in with me Liv! I have a spare room. I was thinking about getting a lodger for a while now, but I was reluctant about sharing with a stranger… You however, are not… I can see it now, we'll have such a blast!"

"I don't know Abby…" Liv trails off, not so keen. Part of the reason why she was so set on getting her own place, was because it afforded her and Fitz a little privacy of their own. Whereas living with Abby would not.

"Come on Liv, you'd be doing me huge favour, just as much as I would be doing you the same courtesy… What's there to lose?"

Liv looks back at Fitz again- trying to gain his stance on Abby's proposal, but he gives nothing away… He looks lost in his own thoughts. She turns back to Abby, who has no intention of letting her say no.

"Come on, what do you say? You know it's genius!"

"What about your Landlord? Won't he or she have a problem, with someone like me, living with someone like you?"

"No, she's liberal on those matters, she don't care if you're black, white or yellow, as long as the rents paid at the end of the month, she's good… Now stop staling and say yes!"

_How can she say no? If you took Fitz out the equation; it was the perfect solution._

xxxx

"So what do you think?" She asks, once they finally get a moment alone.

"You mean about moving in with Abby?"

"Yes."

He can sense her worry and uncertainty, she thinks he's mad at her, but he's not; not with her anyway. His face softens. "I think it's a good idea, at least until I can sort out something more permanent… I have an idea, but before I can put anything into motion, I need to know Liv, are you really in this for the long run, I mean all in, one hundred percent- fully committed..."

"I'm in Fitz... All the way, you know this, we've been though this already..."

"I know_, I know..._ but I just need to be sure... you mean everything to me, and I'm more than aware of what I'm willing to sacrifice to be with you... But it wasn't until Eli came in that it finally sunk in just how much you're giving up too... Eli is the only family relative you have, and you will loose him if we do this..."

He is extremely tense, she's never seen him so wound up before... "What did he say to you?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know..."

"I do... Now tell me."

He almost wants to laugh at the sheer irony of it. "_Fine..._ Your father wants me to spy on you... _Oh, _and he also plans on killing me, when he finds out it is me... And by the look on his face he means it!"

"You're kidding me?"

"I kid you not!" He takes her by the hand, and starts to stoke it comfortingly. "When Eli finds out it's me, your relationship with your dad will over Liv, no doubt about it... But, if we're really serious about being together, then we need to decide on our endgame..."

_"__Our endgame?"_

"Our future Liv, where do we want to end up- and how will we get there, with no delusion of the sacrifices that lie ahead of us."

She looks him straight in the eye, love, passion, fear and determination blazing in her depths... "What's the plan?"


	19. Chapter 19

Part 19

"_So _Ballard, tell me what you've got."

"Sir, it's not much, but what I do have is rather alarming…"

Jerry holds his hand out, curious to uncover the findings of his private investigator; he had been trailing Fitz for over a week now. "Give it to me…"

Reluctantly, Jake hands over the brown envelope and simply waits for the fallout. It doesn't take long before the penny drops… "No way, but she's_… she's_ _black..."_ He stammers, thrown by the evidence laid out before him. For the life of him he had not expected that. Shocked, he has to take a closer look, flicking through the many photos, unable to comprehend that the woman his son is having an affair with is black. Had his son lost his mind? "This must be a mistake…"

"Sir…"

"I mean, where's the intimate photos? There are none here…"

"Sir you're right, there are none, _yet…_ because they've been very discrete, but I can assure you, if your son is having an affair, then I guarantee it is with this woman."

"What makes you say that?"

"Since I've been following him, your son has spent more hours, including significant time alone with this woman, than he has with his own wife."

Jerry shakes his head, he still can't believe it… _"Who is she?"_

"Her name is Olivia Pope…"

"_Pope?_ Why does that sound familiar?"

"Well, her father is Elijah Pope- well known for his civil rights work and his service to the black community, in fact he has worked with your son on a number of ventures…"

"_Hold on…_ How old is she exactly?"

"She's 22… She's young, but remarkably accomplished… And was hired 4 months ago to work for NOW, handling legal cases."

"Fitz hired her?"

"Yes…"

"So he's known her for a while?"

"It appears so, but my bet it was initially through her father…"

"So he probably hired her as a favour to her father, only now he's taken to bedding her..." The cogs were beginning to turn in his head. "Does she still live with her father?"

"No, she's living with a colleague, a Miss Abby Whelan."

"And is this woman white or black?"

"White, Sir".

"_Wow_, how liberal of her, having an affair with a white married man and playing house mate with a white woman… Her father can't be happy about that, _surely?_"

"If my sources are correct, father and daughter are recently estranged…"

"And her mother?"

"Dead, killed by racist vigilantes when Miss Pope was 12 years old."

"Perfect…"

_"Sir?"_ Jake looks at him in confusion.

Jerry explains… "I have an idea, but I need you to keep tailing them until you catch them in the act… they'll slip up soon enough… I will require strong evidence that they are sleeping together first, before taking necessary action… Starting with her father, because I have a sneaky suspicion that Mr Pope will not be a fan of this union. The way in which he lost his wife, he is bound to harbour ill feelings and a deeply embedded hatred for the white man… Therefore the knowledge of his daughter sharing her bed with one…"

_"Aaaaah…_ You believe he'll bring an end to it himself; successfully driving the love birds apart…" he finishes off.

"Exactly!"

"But what if that doesn't work; what then?" Jake questions, feeling the need to play devil's advocate.

"_Then_, I suppose the dirty work will have to fall upon me…" he reveals menacingly. "And I'll stop at nothing to achieve my goals."

Xxxxx

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, it had been niggling away at her ever since… It was a dangerous notion, but yet somehow it made sense- And the more she witnessed them together, the more she was certain of her suspicion.

_Could the married man Liv was sleeping with actually be Fitz?_

Abby first picked up on signals the day Liv's father dumped her stuff off, and Fitz had offered to drop Liv and herself home that night... As any decent gentleman would, he helped her to carry her belongings up and settle her in; but it was the way he was with her, it spoke volumes- tentative, caring and for a man of his moral high ground, not once did he look at her with a disapproving eye. At first she put it down to him simply feeling sorry for her, but lately Abby was starting to think there was a strong possibility that a lot more was going on between them, and if so; she had a terrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach about it… Because this was bad, real bad.

She had yet to share her suspicions with anyone, mainly because she felt she owed it to Liv to ask her first, but she didn't know how best to go about it, without causing her friend to shut down. But someone had to talk to her about it, because what she was doing could possibly get her killed if the wrong people were to find out.

She would talk to her tonight. But in the meantime, they had work to do… Right now, the team was looking into the recent genocide controversy over the contraception pill. It was a topic that Liv held a particular interest in; although she was more interested in the research regarding the pill's side effects and whether or not they outweighed the merit of a woman's right to Planned Parenthood.

Facts had showed that more and more women were taking the contraception pill since the FDA's approval of it two years ago, and being the forward thinker that she was, Abby happened to be one of those women, and she couldn't help but think it would be wise for Liv to show an interest in safe-guarding herself in this manner too; because getting pregnant with Fitz's baby, or if not him; any other married man's baby would be unthinkable at this stage. It would categorically ruin her life... She just hopes that for Liv's sake, more than anyone else's that she's been smart enough to practice safe sex thus far, because God help her otherwise.

It seems they had a lot to discuss tonight, which funnily enough Liv had unknowingly provided the perfect window of opportunity...

After a couple of hours spent reading through various medical journals and articles, Liv had sheepishly walked over; cautiously looking around the office floor first; making sure the coast was clear before leaning over and quietly whispering… "Abby, where would be the best place for me to get my hands on a prescription for the pill?"


	20. Chapter 20

Part 20

It's amazing how love can cause a person to push aside their own needs or beliefs in place of their loved ones... Initially when Fitz had told Liv that he planned to divorce Mellie, she was more concerned about him losing contact with his children, opposed to the security she would gain from Fitz no longer being married. When he told her that he would step down from running for governor, to escape the public eye and their scrutiny; all Liv could feel was guilt over him ending his political career for her. But similarly to her, Fitz cared more about her welfare than his own, as long as she was safe and happy, and they could be together it was all that mattered. He was already making plans to buy a house far away from here… Growing up, he had always had his heart set on living in a grand estate, out in the remote woodlands of Vermont, and maybe it was time to share that dream with Liv. Vermont also happened to be one of the few states that no anti-miscegenation laws had been passed; therefore if Liv would have him, which he hoped she would one day, they could legally wed in Vermont and live out the rest of their days with peace of mind and heart. He had it all figured out; he just needed to put his plan into motion, starting with Mellie and filling for divorce.

On the subject of sacrifice, Liv felt she had to make her own personal tribute to the cause. And if that came in the form of tampering with her womanly processes; something that she had a number of reservations about, then so be it. Because the more she thought about it, the more she realised that an unplanned pregnancy would only jeopardise their current status. For one; interracial relationships in Washington DC was still heavily frowned upon; the State of Maryland and Virginia had only just overturned the anti-miscegenation law, therefore Fitz getting a black woman pregnant whilst still being married to his wife, would only make divorce proceedings that bit harder and messier to contend with, and more importantly he could stand to lose everything. She couldn't afford that, so action had to be taken and fast, especially when she considered that they had been sailing pretty close to the wind on that front already, with a number of impromptu moments being shared.

Unlike Liv however, when it came to such matters, Abby was all for the "open book" policy, and therefore it didn't take long before Liv discovered that Abby took birth control pills. She had come across them one morning in the bathroom, when Abby had forgotten to pick them up. She was shocked at first; she had never known anyone that would take such prophylactics, although with Abby's stance on sexual liberation, in hindsight it made perfect sense for her to take the necessary precautions. Therefore out of all the people she could turn to for advice, Liv knew that she could speak to Abby in confidence and without the fear of judgement.

"It's a big decision Liv, are you sure about this?"

She leans back against the sofa, cradling her hot cocoa in her hand. "I suppose so, I think it's for the best don't you- just to be safe?"

"Have you discussed this with the guy that you're… _well you know_, sleeping with."

"No, not yet- but I will."

Abby sighs, "Liv, you do realise that the pill is not 100% guaranteed to prevent pregnancy, _right?_ And that condoms should and must be used in conjunction with pill…"

"Of course… _sure_, I realise that… and we have been using condoms…"

_"All the time?"_ Abby challenges.

"Majority of it…" Liv trails off guiltily, barely able to look Abby in the eye in light of their obvious carelessness.

Stern-faced. "But not always?! Seriously Liv, he's a married man, you can't afford to take these risks… for all you know you could already be pregnant!"

In sheer denial… "No, I don't think so, _I can't be…_"

Abby can't believe her friend's naivety… "_Well_, I suppose you'll find out soon enough, because your doctor will not prescribe you the pill until they run a pregnancy test first…"

Liv gulps… "_Wwwh…what?"_

"Yes Liv, no doctor will give you the pill if you're already pregnant…" Her face immediately softens in response to the absolute look of panic on her friend''s face. Abby reaches over and squeezes her hand… "_Hey now_, there's no point in worrying just yet, what's done is done, and if you're not pregnant then you will make sure to keep safe from now on, _right?"_

In almost slow motion Liv nods her head in accord; although clearly struggling to process it all.

Noting a chink in her armour, Abby decides now is the best time to ask her… "Liv, are you certain that this guy, is worth all this head ache, I mean, you're young, you're beautiful, you could find someone else, someone with less baggage and drama _perhaps?"_

"I wish it were that easy, but it's not Abby… _besides_- he has no intention of letting me go, and honestly I don't want him to either…"

"He loves you, _he must…_ because he's sacrificing a hell of a lot to be with you Liv…" Abby tells her, all too knowingly.

"He is, but so am I…" Liv answers her cagily, not willing to say anything else, worried that maybe she has given too much away already...

_"Liv_, I hold you dear as a close friend, and I want you to know that no matter what happens I'm here for you…_okay?_"

_"_Okay..._" _

_She senses there's more._

Abby takes a deep breath, and gently squeezes Liv's hand again. "There's something I want to ask you, and I hope you'll be honest with me when I do… Just like I trust you with my many indiscretions."

"What is it you want to ask?" Liv asks with trepidation, because in that very moment she realises that Abby has figured it out.

_"Are you sleeping with Fitz?"_

She pauses, visibly trembling... _"Abby please..." s_he eventually voices in fear.

And it's all the confirmation she needs. "_You are aren't you? _It's okay Liv, I know you're scared, but I won't tell anyone- I promise, you can trust me..."

Liv turns away trying to avoid her, but there was no use... she'd been caught out, and no amount of denying it would convince her otherwise.

_"Liv... please, look at me."_

She has no choice but to trust her now... _"Abby, I beg of you, please... you can't say a word."_


	21. Chapter 21

Part 21

_"We need to talk…"_

He instantly picks up on the anxiety in her voice… "What's happened?"

She closes his office door behind her, before walking over to him and taking a seat opposite him… "Abby knows about us?"

_"What?!"_ He exclaims… _"How?"_

"I don't know, I suppose she picked up on something between us… _Who knows? _But when she asked me outright, she didn't need any confirmation, because believe me she knew…"

"But you denied it all the same, _right?"_ He looks at her expectantly, hoping she has and affectively buying them some more time; because the longer they can keep their affair a secret the better.

"Well no…" She admits truthfully.

"What!" He seethes, angered that she could be naïve… "Why on earth would you confirm it!? My God Liv, what was you thinking?"

"She caught me off guard, what was I supposed to do? Lie to her; when it was already obvious in her eyes… I'm living with her for Christ sakes, if she feels I can't trust her and vice-versa I could be out on my rear again…" she defends; sounding incredibly hurt by his reaction.

He can tell he's upset her and immediately regrets it…"Look, I'm sorry," He apologises sincerely, reaching over to her.

"It's fine…" she replies, trying to appear strong and mask her budding emotions.

"No it's not, I really didn't mean to have a go. It's not your fault… I'm just a little stressed, and we really don't need this right now, it's awful timing… Ideally, we need to keep things undercover, at least until the divorce proceedings were underway…" He sighs, running his hand over his face… "So what now, do you think she will talk, _is that it?"_

"Honestly no, I don't think she will. Abby understands the implications of what will happen if this gets out, and she has insured me she will keep it a secret. And I believe her; she's just as worried about others finding out as we are- If anything she thinks we need to be more cautious, and watch our backs!"

"Well, I guess we should take this as a warning, and count ourselves lucky that it was Abby that found out and not someone else… And she's right, now is not the time to get careless…not that I believe we have been so far."

"Well, whilst we're on the subject of not being careless, I've decided to go on the pill as an added precaution."

"The contraceptive pill?"

"Yes, the contraceptive pill." She confirms, as she explains her reasoning behind her decision. "You and I both know that now is hardly the time to start a family… Not that I'm saying I don't want babies in the future or anything, because I do… but right now, we can't!"

"But I've read about the pill; doesn't taking it come along with a number of side effects?" He asks worriedly. The last thing he wants is Liv to put her health at risk.

"I've researched into it, and its fine Fitz… Yes, there are side effects, but the end result outweighs them by far…"

"I'm not so sure about this Liv, I don't want anything to happen to you…"

"If I get pregnant now, worse things could happen Fitz, and you know it… and I can't risk that- and let's be honest our use of condoms has been hit and miss as it is."

"I know, I'm sorry, that's my fault… Since being married to Mellie, they're not something I'm used to carrying on my person… And you have to admit, the few times that you and I have forgone them, wasn't exactly planned, _now was it?_" He adds suggestively, lightening the mood a little.

She blushes as she recalls the number of occasions where their passions had got the better of them. "Admittedly we've both been a little reckless… It's not just down to you, we're both to blame on that front… That's why I've chosen to do this. So I booked an appointment with my doctor, for Thursday evening."

"Are you going alone?" He feels bad that he can't be there with her.

"More than likely… Abby has offered to go, but I think I'd feel more comfortable taking about my sexual history in private… In the meantime, you need to increase your supply of condoms Mister…"

"But why? If you're going on the pill, then surely we don't need them..."

"That's not until Thursday… And who knows, you might just take my fancy before that…" She teases playfully.

"You're insatiable…"

"You're one to talk..." She laughs, but then turning serious again she adds... "Although putting all jokes aside, from now on, I'd rather we be extra safe than sorry…" She pauses. "I just hope that it's not too little, or too late…"

"You mean as in- _W__hat if you're already pregnant…?_" He looks down at her stomach, suddenly afraid at the prospect. What a fool he's been; because the thought had not once crossed his mind. Although he's always been a firm believer that babies were a blessing sent from God, having one with Liv now could potential be very dangerous for the both of them; but despite the knowledge of that; as always, he puts a brave face on it.

He takes her two hands into his own and squeezes them reassuringly… "If you are, then I suppose we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it, but fingers crossed it won't come to that."

"Fingers crossed." She echoes his sentiment, silently praying, as she knows that he is; that they are in the clear.


	22. Chapter 22

Part 22

Lying there beside him, curled up in postcoital bliss; this was her favourite part, the afterglow. Lazily, she traces the contours of his chest, revelling in their sinew... "_Hhhhmmm_… I wish you didn't have to go to New York tomorrow…" She sighs, snuggling in closer.

Tenderly, he tucks a loose strand of hair behind her hair…"Me too, but as usual the timing is off, I'd rather be here for you... but work calls I guess, although to be fair I almost don't see the point. Soon enough none of this will matter…"

Not ready for her happy moment to end, she deflects the conversation to thoughts of the future and not the present… "_Fitz_, what will you do when we get to Vermont?"

"You mean work wise?"

"_Yeah_… what have you got in mind?"

"I don't know… teach maybe, but for the first year or so I just want to work on the house… getting it ready for the kids; first Jerry and Karen's rooms, so they have somewhere to sleep when they stay over, and then the nursery for our first born, whilst we work on our next…"

"How many?"

_"How many children...?"_ He asks… "I think three, _maybe four… _or however many you are willing to give me?"

She sighs dreamily. "_Four_, I like the sound of that…" she rest her chin on his chest and he smiles at her warmly, before leaning down and capturing her lips in an awe inspiring kiss. When they finally pull apart for air, he places her on her back and scoots down resting his head on her flushed bosom… He lays still, and lets the steady beat of her heart hypnotise him into a state of peace and contentment…

Idle fingers start to play with and run through his tussled hair, causing the manly scent of his shampoo to waft around her, igniting her senses… _Why did he always smell so good?_ She breathes him in deeply... "_God_, I can't wait till the day that we can do this uninterrupted, when we don't have to get up, get dressed and rush off to different houses…"

_"I know…" _he exhales, as begrudgingly he allows his mind to drift back to their present circumstances. Poignant and deliberate in his movement, he covers her exposed belly with his hand and begins to circle it softly… _Something about this simple action causes her eyes to brim with tears…_

"Tomorrow's your appointment?"

It's not so much a question, but a statement. So she says nothing, as he continues to stoke her; evoking a whole host of emotions from both of them…

"I wish I was could be here for you… I mean, what if the test comes out positive? You're going to need me, and I'll be stuck in New York."

"_I'll be alright…_ I've got Abby; we'll manage until you come back… _Plus_, there's every chance that I'm not pregnant, _so don't worry…_"

"It just seems so wrong, _you know?_ Both of us lying here and hoping that there's no baby, when deep down we both know that if we were only someplace else, we would have the freedom and the right to feel the complete opposite…"

"_Please stop,_ you mustn't think like that, _okay?"_

"I know I shouldn't, but it's hard not too…" A sudden wetness pooling by her breast, lets her knows that he is crying. She's never seen him so vulnerable before, and it breaks her heart, causing her to choke up too. _"Oh Fitz…"_ She hugs him tight. "Our time will come, _it will…" _She soothes... "And when it does, all this will be a distant memory… Because we'll be too busy being happy, and looking forward to our future; our wedding, _babies_, and so much more… _You'll see_."

Xxxxxx

"_Mellie, it's 1am…_" Jerry answers her groggily, woken up by the persistent ringing of his house phone.

"I'm quite aware of the time Jerry… Why have you been avoiding me?"

Wiping the sleep from his eyes… "I promise you Mellie, I have not been avoiding you…"

"_Well_, what's going on then… _tell me!?_ Have you found out who she is yet?"

"It's being handled Mellie, that's all you need to know." He attempts to pacify her, but she's having none of it. _Not tonight._

"Obviously not well enough…seeing as my husband has yet to come home..." She slurs, giving away the fact that she is inebriated.

"Listen to me Mellie, you need to pull yourself together. Now do us both a favour and go back to bed and sleep off whatever it is you've been drinking!"

"_I will not!_ I will not _sleep_ until my husband comes home!"

"_Mellie_…" He warns… "You need to calm down…"

Growing increasingly hysterical... "He's out there Jerry, _fucking her…_ destroying everything I've worked for, and you expect me to calm down! _Tell me who she is god dammit!" _

"Like I said, I have it under control, the only thing you need to concern yourself with, is how to keep your husband satisfied, once I rid him of his feminine distraction… But I can tell you this for nothing, you won't stand a chance in hell in accomplishing that, if you don't get a grip soon; or have you forgotten who you are; the cunning and resourceful woman I saw fit to marry my son... "

She gushes, _"Whyyyyy_… why Jerry... why is he doing this to me?"

"Who knows why men do what they do…? Maybe he was bored, maybe you weren't giving it to him like you used to, or maybe he's just his father's son. Knowing why is not what's important here Mellie... But reminding him of what he'll loose if he decides to leave, now that's where the true game changer lies."

"You mean the kids?"

"Exactly my dear! If Fitz wants to walk away from his wife and his career, you just let him know that he will also be walking away from his kids."


	23. Chapter 23

**Hi guys, so sorry for the delay... Work has been monopolising all my time and energy. I can't wait till the summer holidays! Roll on Wednesday!**

Part 23

If she continues to chew on her nails for any longer she will not have any left at this rate. She's a nervous wreck, because any moment now she will be called in to see the doctor, and there's a possibility that life as she knows it might completely turn on its axis and never be the same again. With all that was going on with Fitz, adding a baby into the mix- it would somehow make their affair feel even more illicit.

Fretting and sat alone in the waiting room, she prepares to face her destiny, but finds herself longing for Fitz's support more than ever, wishing he was here. Although they are both aware, that even if they took New York out of the equation, Fitz sitting in a doctor's surgery that catered for Blacks and Hispanics only, holding her hand in solidarity and hoping for the best possible outcome would never come to pass. Because sadly, society dictated that she would always have to go through this part alone.

It was the price she paid for being with a white man.

"Olivia Pope?" A nurse calls for her, smiling pleasantly when she spots her… "The doctor can see you now."

She feels sick to her stomach.

Xxxxx

"Sir, I've got it!" Jake announces with pride handing over all the evidence that Jerry needs to confirm his son's affair.

The pictures leave very little to the imagination. It was just what he needed. "When did you take these?" Although following his conversation with Mellie last night, he has his suspicions.

"Last night," Jake answers, and then explains how he followed them to a motel, where Fitz paid for a room and then how the two of them; who seemed desperate for each other- proceeded to undress and embrace, before remembering themselves and closing the curtains- effectively blocking the view to his camera lenses. Except it was too late by then, as he already had all the proof he needed.

"Great job Jake. I knew I could rely on you to come through with the goods…" Jerry turns around and retrieves a piece of paper from his desk, with an address scribbled on it… "I need you to take a copy of the photo's first, and then deliver a copy to this address."

Jake takes the piece of paper from him and looks at him knowingly. "Of course Sir, I'm on it."

Xxxx

"So, what can I do for you today Miss Pope?"

She gulps, feeling uneasy. The fact that her doctor was male, did very little to help ease her discomfort… "_I ummm_, I came to enquire about the contraceptive pill…" She finally gets out, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"I see," he looks at her, with what appears to be an element of scrutiny… "And your husband? He wishes for you to be on the pill too…" he fishes.

"I'm not married," she clarifies, feeling like a naughty child who is about to be reprimanded for her wrong doings.

"I see," he repeats, writing something down on a note pad; and in the face of his obvious judgement she finds herself lowering her head in shame. "Well in that case, _"your boyfriend"… _does he agree on this method of birth control too?"

"_Yes_, yes he does… not that it should make a difference, whether he agrees or not, because at the end of the day this is my body." She replies in annoyance.

"Indeed Miss Pope, it is your body- however I assume you have chosen to share your body with this man, despite the fact that you are not married, otherwise you wouldn't be here… Therefore, I am simply trying to work out the dynamics of your relationship, and the reasons as to why you feel the need to go on the pill… I apologise if this makes you feel uncomfortable, but establishing a sexual history is a must."

Despite herself, and not appreciating his male chauvinistic attitude either, she replies… "Of course, I understand… I'm just not used to this…"

He cuts her off unceremoniously… "Well Miss Pope, having sex comes with a certain level of responsibility and maturity- and if you're unable to handle that, then maybe you're not ready to undertake all that sex entails, which includes a frank discussion about appropriate birth control…"

"I can handle it…" she bites back, incensed by his bedside manner. He couldn't make it any more obvious, if he tried. The man was cut from the same cloth as her father; he did not improve of her choices.

"Good, now that we have that cleared up I have a few more questions for you; that's if you wish to continue…?"

"Go ahead…" she encourages, suddenly eager to get this over and done with, so she can hurry up and leave.

"How long have you and your partner been engaged in sexual intercourse." He asks matter-of-factly.

"Not long, just a few weeks..."

"And have you been practising safe sex?"

Here comes the heavy judgement she thinks, as she answers him truthfully… "It had been our intention to do so, _but no;_ not always…"

"Right, so there's a chance that you could be pregnant? Obviously, you do realise you cannot go on the contraceptive pill if you are?"

She can't help but be curt in her response. "Yes, I am very aware of that_." What did he take her for, a fool?_

Carrying on, paying no mind to her tone he looks down at his notes, and questions… "When was you last menstrual cycle?"

_Shit_. "I can't remember exactly?" She feels silly and ill prepared, although to be fair she was never one for tracking her periods, because they had always been so irregular…

"Well, have you had one since you've been sleeping with this man?" He asks, slightly exasperated by her lack of knowledge.

She thinks on it hard, until a sinking feeling slowly overcomes her… "_No_, I don't think so, not that I can recall, sorry..."

"Right Miss Pope, in that case I feel it is necessary that I run a few test and an examination… First to rule out pregnancy, and then any other disease that you may have been exposed to- seeing as you and your partner are not officially committed by marriage, there is a greater chance that he may be sleeping with others too. "

She doesn't even get a chance to respond, as he abruptly calls for a nurse… "Verna, please can you get Miss Pope into a gown and have her prepped for a full pelvic and PAP; we also needs to take a urine sample and bloods. Thanks."

By the time the doctor (who she was quickly growing to detest) had finished questioning her, and performing one of the most intrusive examinations she has ever been subjected to, she was left feeling completely stripped of her dignity, and in addition to that incredibly frightened at the prospect of her results. Sensing her worry and apprehension, Nurse Verna kindly sits with her, once she has dressed back into her clothes and nervously waits for the doctor to return to the room with her results.

"It's going to be okay my dear…" Nurse Verna tries to reassure her; although it's to very little effect.

Because Liv has a very bad feeling, deep down in the pit of her stomach.

Xxxxx

Hearing his post box being opened and slammed shut, curiously, Eli heads through his front door and over to the box at the end of his lawn. When he opens it he finds a sealed the Manila envelope inside… The postman had already come and gone earlier that morning, so he wasn't expecting anything else until the next day… _How strange?_ He turns the envelope over, in search of his name and address, but it's not written on it anywhere... Again, very strange. _What was going on?_ Ever so quickly, he finds his guard is up as he looks around suspiciously; something was definitely off about this package… _What was in it?_ And why had it been delivered to him?

Slowly and carefully he opens the envelope to inspect its contents.

_What he sees completely floors him_. _No way... No way, it can't be true?!_

Xxxxxx

The doctor takes a seat in front of her. To her eyes he almost looks smug…

She suddenly feels sick again.

"I'm sorry Miss Pope, but at this time I will not be able to prescribe you the contraceptive pill, because tests has revealed that you have the hCG hormone present in your urine, levels of which indicate that you are in the early stages of pregnancy."


	24. Chapter 24

Part 24

"What do you mean she's not there? Where is she?" Fitz asks frantically. He'd been worried sick all day, unable to concentrate at work; instead he had spent the entire time watching the clock back, counting down the hours and minutes until he could ring and speak to Liv at home.

"I don't know? As planned, she left work early to go the doctors; I told her I would hurry back after work in case she needed me; seeing as she was determined to attend the appointment alone… But when I got here, she was no-where to be found?!" Abby relays worriedly.

"This is not good… this not good at all… _The test must have come out positive…_" He frets aloud, thinking the very worse now. "We need to find her, where could she be?!"

"Do you think she would have gone to see her father?"

"No I doubt it, with the way they've left things he would be the last person she'd turn to…"

_Think Fitz, think… he silently berates himself..._ _THINK! _"Hold on, I have an idea… there's this guy,_ Harrison_… When her father threw her out, he and his family kindly took her in for a couple of nights, maybe she went there?"

"But why? Does he know what's going on?"

"I'm not sure what she's told him? And I don't know why she would go there, when she has you, but right now I can't think of any other place she could be?"

"I guess it's worth a shot… Give me his address and I'll head over there now!"

From memory he recalls the place he had dropped Liv off a few weeks ago; thankfully Abby has a fair idea where it was… "Abby, I'm so afraid… What if something bad has happened? What if she couldn't handle the news and…"

"Hey, don't think like that… Obviously, the situation is not ideal, and being told she's pregnant on top of everything else that she's currently dealing with would be enough to push anyone over the cliff, but this is Liv we're talking about! She's a tough cookie… she won't do anything stupid… I know that much!"

"I know you're right, but I can't help but remain fearful. _A baby…_ this is such a big deal, and I'm scared for her, I'm scared for the both of us…"

"_Look_, stay positive… You just concentrate on getting back here as soon as you can, because she's going to need you…"

He interjects. "Cyrus is already on it, I'm on the next flight back!"

"Good! And I'll go and look for her at Harrison's, and if she's not there, then I'm sure she'll turn up on her own; she probably just needs some time and space to get her head around all this…"

He sighs heavily… "Hopefully, that is all it is!" And then trying to remain positive he says to Abby... "When you see her, tell her I love her, and that I will be with her as soon as I can…"

"I will… Now get off the phone, let me go and look for her…"

"Yes, of course… _and Abby..."_

_"__Yes…?"_

"Thank you for being there, you've been nothing but a support to both of us!"

Xxxxxx

Not wanting to waste any time in tracking her friend down, Abby hails for a cab. Less than 20 minutes later, the cab man pulls up outside the address that Fitz had given her.

"Thanks", she reaches over and hands the driver a 10 dollar bill… "You sure you want to be dropped off here pretty lady, this neighbourhood is rough…" he warns her.

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself…" she tells him, sounding far more confident than what she actually feels; she was well aware of the neighbourhood's reputation… "Keep the change," she offers, as she takes a deep breath and steps out of the vehicle.

She rings the doorbell; the lights are on, but no-one answers the first time round; so she rings it again, persistently…

"Stop ringing the DAMN bell!" She hears a voice yell from inside, closely followed by… "Harrison, go get the door!"

_Phew, she thinks, at least she was at the right place…_

_"__Yes!?"_ A disgruntled yet handsome, young black man greets her on the door…

"Excuse me, I'm so sorry for disturbing you…" she apologises profusely, "My names Abby Whelan, I'm looking for a friend of mine, and someone suggested she might be here with you… You're Harrison right?"

"Yes, I'm Harrison… Who's your friend?"

"Her name's Olivia?" She instantly notes the look of recognition in his eyes... "Oh Olivia, yes I know her, but she's not here…" But then it quickly dawns on him; if this well-to-do white woman, had taken a risk to travel down to these neck of the woods, unchaperoned, in search of Liv- then something bad was most definitely going down… "_Why_, what's happened, is she okay?"

"I don't know?" She admits solemnly; rapidly losing hope in finding her. "She's missing, and I can't find her… I don't know how much you know about her situation, but things have suddenly taken a turn for the worse, and now I don't know where she is… It's imperative that I find her, please tell me, do you have any idea where she could be?"

He thinks back to when he first met Liv... "Funnily enough, I think I might just know where she is… _Hold on a second_, let me grab my coat and I'll take you there myself."

Xxxxxx

He has spotted her a couple of hours ago.

He had always been good with faces, and he instantly recognised her from before. She was the girl that Harrison saved a little while back; sat beside the very same headstone she had once slept alongside in the rain. He recalls the morning when Harrison had found her, she had been in quite a state back them, a frozen, bubbling, broken mess, but above all lost. Although by the looks of it, she wasn't far off from that now. He could tell she'd been crying and was clearly distressed- but he could also tell that she needed some time alone. So instead he kept a safe distance, far away enough so that she didn't know he was there, but yet close enough to check on her in small intervals. Only now, it was starting to get dark and he needed to head home, but he had no intention of leaving her there alone; not after last time. Therefore, despite his usual self- that would normally shy away from any and all forms of personal interaction- he walks over to her; desperately trying to figure out what he should say to her. Huck wasn't exactly a people person, therefore words did not come easily, but on this occasion he knew he had to say something, and at the very least ensure she had somewhere safe to go.

"I hope you're not planning to camp out here again tonight?" He interrupts gently.

Slightly startled, she turns and faces him, wiping the tears from her eyes… "Sorry, do I… _do I know you?"_

"Not exactly, however I believe you know one of my employees… Harrison Wright?"

"_Oh of course_, you're his boss?"

"Yes, he works for me…" He offers his hand. "My name's Huck?"

"Olivia," she replies, rising to her feet and shaking his hand.

"Olivia, this might sound like a silly question, but are you alright?"

Obviously troubled, she looks back down at her mother's tombstone… "Not exactly, that's why I came to see mum; I needed her advice…"

_"__And…?"_ He questions… "Has she given you the answers you've been looking for?"

She shakes her head, "No, I'm afraid I'm still waiting... Although strictly speaking, I don't think there is a straight forward solution to this mess I've found myself in… And maybe there never will be one…"

"Well, I hope for your sake that you'll find an answer and soon, because hanging around in cemeteries at night, is hardly the safest place for a young lady to be…"

"I know, people will be worried about me, and I don't want them to be, but going back home means having to face my problems head on, and right now, I don't think I have the will to do it…" she replies, fraught with despair… "I just want to disappear".

He can't quite put his finger on it, but something about this girl really gets under his skin; like a sudden calling to rush in and protect her. And it unnerves him slightly, because he has not felt like this about anyone, not since his wife and child died. But yet this girl, is so many respects a mere stranger, somehow stirs those feelings within him once again… _Is it because the sadness and confusion he sees in her, mirrors his own?_ Who knows, but for whatever reason it may be, to his complete and utter surprise he finds himself opening up, in a bid to reach out and help...

"Olivia, life can be incredibly hard, and I speak from personal experience… I lost my family a few years ago, and it broke me… I can openly say I'm not the same man I once was; that man has gone forever… And that's because I chose to cope by shutting the entire world out. I disappeared, much like you want to do now… I gave up on myself and everyone else around me. And I was left with nothing… Believe me Olivia, you don't want to do that… don't be like me, because giving up should never be an option."

"But Huck, if you've given up on everything, then why are you telling me this- why do you even care?"

"I suppose I see you as a kindred spirit, someone lost- like I was; _still am_ in many ways… And I just want to help, before the hopelessness takes hold of you, and grows roots."

Absentmindedly she rest her hands on her stomach… "I've never been more scared in my life."

"I know, I can see that, it's written all over your face… So please, just let me help you, okay?"

She finds herself giving in, because there's an understanding and sadness hidden within the depths of his eyes that compels her to trust him… "Okay, but what happens now, where do I begin?"

He takes her by the hand, and gives it a reassuring squeeze. "Well considering how late it is, let's start by getting you home."

Xxxxxx

"She's not here." Abby announces hysterically.

"She's been here though, the earth is trodden down…_ Damn it! _It looks like we've just missed her! Hopefully, she's gone home."

"Hopefully… God I hate the idea of her being out here alone, especially now, she's extremely vulnerable…"

For Harrison, it was almost foreign to witness a white person being so concerned about a person of colour. But when it came to Abby, it was clear to see that she genuinely regarded Liv as a friend, and someone that she was genuinely upset and worried about. _It was a sign that the times were slowly changing._ And he admired her for that, and now he had two reasons to stay and help her find Liv. "I don't live too far from here, so there's a chance that she might head back to mine, therefore I suggest we go there first… If she's not there, then I'll ask my folks to keep an eye out, and then we head back to yours."

"Harrison, that's very kind of you to offer to follow me back, but there's really no need…"

"There's every need, believe me… I care about Liv, and I want to make sure she's safe too… And as a gentleman, I wouldn't feel right knowing you're out here looking for her on your own at night… Therefore, I'm coming with you."

He was incorrigible, that much was a given. She could see why he and Liv were friends.

Xxxx

After a hot bath, and some warm tea and toast, Huck's speciality- He settles Liv into bed, and promises that he will stay in the living room and wait until her roommate; who is clearly out looking for her, returns home; to which Liv is extremely grateful. He is still rather taken back, by just how trusting she is. Ordinarily, he would have attributed it to the fact that she was feeling incredibly vulnerable right now, but yet for some unfathomable reason she believed and felt she could confine in him, and soon enough her whole story came pouring out of her- every single detail, including the fact that she was now expecting a baby. He really felt it for her, no wonder she was so desperate to escape. Not only because her circumstances were beyond overwhelming- but they were extremely dangerous too. With his Puerto Rican heritage, he could understand the level of persecution that Liv would be facing from both sides of the track; and all because she had fallen in love with a white man. The couple had their work cut out for them, especially considering her partner's marital status. In order to protect Fitz, Olivia had not divulged his name to Huck, but she did tell him that the father of her baby was a man of powerful prominence, and well known within the public eye. Which of course only made the situation more volatile in nature. And then when you took into consideration her estranged relationship with her father, and her not having a mother around either, it also meant that she was not receiving any support from her family; and at time when she would need it the most.

The poor girl was in dire need of protection that much was certain. And whether she willed it or not, he silently vowed to keep a close eye on her from now on. It was the least he could do, because after so many years in solitude, she was the only person he had managed to feel some form of connection with.

Xxxx

As promised Huck remained in the flat until Abby returned. To say she was shocked to find a strange man inside her flat would be an understatement. She immediately went on the attack, charging at him with an ornament that she had resourcefully procured from the bookshelf, until Harrison intervened, grabbing the it from her and halting her in her tracks- _"Huck, what are you doing here?" _Albeit he was surprised to discover that the intruder was in fact his boss, he quickly managed to diffuse the situation… "Abby, it's okay… _calm down…_ This man is no fret to you or your friend, I promise you…"

Huck raises his hands in air, "It's true, I mean no harm," he assures her. "I found your friend in the cemetery earlier tonight, and I brought her home, that's all… I was just trying to help."

Harrison could pinpoint the exact moment when Abby's body relaxed in response. _"Oh…"_ she breathes out, successfully disarmed.

Xxxx

Little did they know that by the end of that night, this unlikely trio would forge a strong alliance, working together to protect a woman that had for one reason or another, touched their hearts in some way, shape or form.

Liv would no longer be alone in this war- _not now_, not if they had anything to do with it!


	25. Chapter 25

Part 25

"_Here…_ drink this." Abby encourages, offering her friend a cold glass of water, whilst rubbing her back in small circles.

"I don't understand this, up until yesterday I didn't have one symptom, and then as soon as that horrible man confirms that I am pregnant, I spend the morning hunched over the toilet bowl…"

Abby gently sweeps her friend's hair from her glistening brow… "Sods law, I suppose…" She pauses. "How are you feeling now Liv?"

"Awful." She groans, swallowing down a second wave of nausea.

"And apart from the queasiness…?"

"You mean, how do I feel about the baby?" Liv verifies, to which Abby simply nods, and waits for her response. "Honestly, it feels surreal… Like it's not actually happening, _you know? _Like I'm in some sort of crazy dream that hopefully any minute now, I will wake up, and then all this drama will disappear."

"Oh Liv… I'm so sorry… If I didn't encourage you to go to the doctors at least you would still be in blissful ignorance."

"_Hey_, I was going to find out sooner or later, it's not your fault Abby, in fact I only have myself to blame… I should have been more careful, I was so stupid."

"The same could be said for Fitz too, you know…"

"I know… _I know…_ to be fair, we're both to blame, not just him; speaking of which, he should be due here any minute now…"

"Well he said his flight was getting in 7.30am, so you're right, not long now."

Abby looks up at the time; it was just gone eight; she was running late for work. Whereas Liv was not, she had called in sick, literally. "Abby, go… I'll be fine…"

Reluctant. "_I don't know_, I don't really want to leave you like this…"

"Abby, I promise, I won't leave the flat… _I swear_. Besides Fitz will soon be here, so there's nothing to worry about, so will you please relax."

"Something's off, you seem far too calm for my likings…" Abby looks at her dubiously.

"It's called denial Abby," Liv jokes, despite how she's really feeling inside. _"Now go…"_

"_Fine_, but if you need me, just call the office- and if that fails…"

"I know, call Harrison or Huck… I've got it… now will you please go, you're making me feel nervous."

"Okay, I'm gone… I'll see you later, and good luck with Fitz. Although I doubt you need it- because he loves you, and he's going to get you both through this, I'm sure of it."

Liv places her hand on top of Abby, which is now resting on her belly. "I hope so Abby, I really do hope so."

Xxxxx

"_Aaah_ Mr Pope, hello… how can I help you?" Quinn approaches him, although somewhat hesitant in doing so. However, being the only person in the office, she had no other choice but to deal with the formidable wrath of Eli Pope. And it was pretty safe to say, he did not look like he was up for any fun and games today.

"I want to see my daughter- where is she?"

"She's not in today," Quinn responds truthfully.

"Don't mess me around woman." He slams his hand on the desk, startling her. "I demand to see her at once!"

Reeling in her composure, Quinn responds coolly… "Like I said Mr Pope, Liv's not in… She called in sick this morning!"

"Nonsense, she's here, I know it… besides Liv is never sick!"

"You can look around the office and check for yourself if you'd prefer Mr Pope, but I can assure you she's not in. She's at home… _SICK_." She makes a point in emphasizing the word sick.

Funnily enough, he tends to believe her, and so he decides to change course, swiftly adopting a more agreeable approach as he asks… "Well in that case, I will need her address..."

"I'm sorry Mr Pope, but without Liv's permission, I'm unable to divulge that sort of personal information".

The transformation from calm, to positively fuming is almost instantaneous, and now on the fringes of blowing a gasket he seethes; spitting with unspent rage… "This is ridiculous, I'm her father for goodness sake! I have a right to know where my daughter is!"

But Quinn remains firm in her resolve, as she tells him in no uncertain terms… "I'm sorry Mr Pope, but at this time I really can't help you…"

Incensed and frustrated, Eli storms out of the office rather unceremoniously; slamming the main door behind him, and with such a force- Quinn is genuinely surprised that the glass panel in the door did not shatter in the process.

_"__What the hell was going on?" _

Xxxxx

Eli was not about to let this matter rest. He was out for blood, Fitzgerald Grant's to be precise. However, before he laid his hands on him, he had to confront his daughter first, because despite the evidence that was staring him square in the face, he refused to believe it until he heard her confirm it with his own two ears.

_Had he not taught her anything? _The fact that white men had killed her mother- murdered her in cold blood, simply because of the colour of her skin… Was that not a deterrent in itself?! And yet here she was, willing to lay down and permit one of those vile creatures to happily use and invade her untried body. _Just the thought of Fitz…_ He can't even bare to think about it; sickened by the idea of his daughter becoming the play toy for a man, that didn't even have the decency to honour the vows he had made to his wife. And the sad thing is, he can't help but hold himself partly responsible for this mess; after all, despite his better judgement he had entrusted Fitz to look out for his daughter, and instead he turned around and sullied her virtue, ruining her chances of marrying any decent, and well respected young black man. Someone who was good and wholesome; credentials that the likes of Edison had to offer.

God forgive him, but come hell or high water, he was going to make this right again. He was going to fix it, and finally bring an end to this torrid affair once and for all.

But first of all he needed to find Liv, and if he couldn't find her directly, although it pained him to admit it, he was certain to find her by tracking down Fitz.

Xxxxx

He had thrown his arms around her, swooping her up as soon as she opened up the door…

"My sweet baby, I will never leave you again… I promise, not for a second", he whispers movingly, as he adorns her with kisses; placing them upon her cheeks, her brow, her eyelids, and the salty tracks left in the wake of her tears. And in his desperate need to worship and provide her with comfort, those kisses soon travel down the slender column of her neck, bringing forth a series of breathy moans, before he takes them along her collar bone, and eventually lets them fall between the valley of her breasts, until he is on his knees, with his face pressed up against her belly.

Fervently, he looks up at her, meeting her watery gaze, before lifting her top up and kissing her ever so softly on her stomach; the spot where their baby now lies. "It's going to be okay, I promise you baby, I promise both of you." Liv squeezes him close, and bends down kissing him on top of his head. "I'm so glad you're here". She whispers, choked up with emotion.

Just having him here, made her feel stronger; renewing her faith, that as long as they had each other they could make it.


	26. Chapter 26

Part 26

Much to his chagrin, it doesn't take long before Fitz leads Eli right to Liv.

He literally has to fight the urge to storm in on them and break Fitz's neck. But he knows that if he does that, he will lose his daughter for good; so for the time being he must refrain from doing so. Even if the thought of them up there together, alone, and doing god knows what with each other curdles the blood in his veins. Therefore, wisely he chooses to remain in his car, waiting for the right time to make his move.

_Two whole hours pass before Fitz finally leaves and drives off._

This was his chance. Although, mindful that Fitz could turn back at any time, Eli waits for a couple of minutes; making sure that the coast is clear before leaving his car and making his way towards the flat.

Hearing the doorbell ring, Liv gets up… _What is he like, he'd lose his head if it wasn't attached to his body?_ She muses, before buzzing him in...

But when she opens the door, and finds her father standing on the other side and not Fitz, she almost passes out.

"_What_… what are you doing here?" she stammers; trembling in his presence, as a million thoughts race through her head. How on earth did he find her? Why was he here? Had he seen Fitz leave?

"I'm here because I need to hear you say it…"

She looks at him perplexed. "_Say what?_ I don't understand?"

He thrust the infamous brown envelope into her hands. "I need to hear it from you, and only you... IS. IT. TRUE!?"

Her heart misses a beat... _"Oh my god…"_ she gasps; a mixture of fear and recognition setting in; she didn't even have to look inside the envelope to figure out what was going on. _He knows._

_Yes he knows._ Sarcastically... "The honourable Fitzgerald Grant- soon to run for state governor Grant- tell me Liv, is he the married man that you've been messing around with?" He asks, his voice laced with venom and disdain.

She is so thrown by her father's insight and knowledge that words seem to escape her. However, her lack of response only serves to rile him up, and with all his patience spent from waiting on Fitz to leave, he's even quicker to react…

"ANSWER ME!"

His raised voice causes her to jump leaving her on edge, and now she's too scared to say anything… Instinctively she starts to move away from him, however she doesn't get very far, because he reaches for her, grabbing her by the arm and shaking her like a rag doll… "I said answer me!"

"Let go! You're hurting me!" she grimaces, as he continues to shake her; demanding that she talk… "Are. You. Fucking. Him?!"

"Get your hands off of me!" She now screams at the top of her voice, twisting and squirming until she manages to break free from his grasp… He goes for her again, but this time he misses as she runs to the fireplace, arming herself with the iron poker. She waves it at him frantically…. "Don't you touch me, _EVER_ again, do you hear me?!"

Realising that things are quickly getting out of hand, he attempts to calm down the situation by lowering his tone and taming his aggression. "_Fine_… All I want is the truth Liv, and then I'll leave…"

"_Why?_ Why do you want to know- what difference will it make?" she laments, still griping onto the poker with all her might- not willing to let her guard down. "After the way you've treated me, you have NO right coming here and demanding anything from me!"

_"__The way I've treated you?!"_ He's incensed, "How about the way you've treated this family, or the way you've dishonoured your mother's memory by lying down and spreading your legs for a man, who is no different from the men that killed her!"

"No that is not true! Fitz is nothing like those men, and you know it!"

He doesn't miss a beat. _"So it is true!?"_

All the lies, having to hide how she's really feels in fear of the repercussions; she's sick of it all! But there was no point in denying it now, because her father wouldn't believe her even if she tried... Besides, she suspects that the envelope that now lies abandoned on the floor contains all the proof Eli would need; but the sadist in him would rather watch her squirm under interrogation, making her say it instead… So why put up a fight? So, "Yes…" she tells him boldly. "You're right, I am sleeping with Fitz, and just so you know, I love him!"

It was the words he was waiting to hear, but also the very same words that now destroyed everything he held dear… Outraged, disappointed and wild with grief Eli callously turns over a coffee table with all its contents onto the floor in a blinding rage... "How could you do this?" He exclaims, "Do you have any idea of what you've done?!" He's lost it, she can tell, and dangerously she notes that he's edging closer and closer towards her; his pupils now constricted and his expression unforgiving…

"Stay away from me!" She warns, ready to swing at him, ready to defend herself and the tiny life she's now carries inside her…

"I could kill you for this…" he threatens her menacingly.

"I'm not afraid of you…" She dares to answer back, although belying the truth, because she is terrified.

"Well maybe you should be little girl, because the moment I get your precious Fitz alone- I promise you this… I'm going to kill him… Do you hear me! I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!"

"You can't!" She protests fiercely.

"Oh, but I can Liv… And I will… If that's the only way to stop you from being with him, then I will not hesitate to rid him from this world! You have no idea of what I'm capable of, I'll do whatever it takes to protect my family!"

"You're a fool if you think killing him will protect us, if anything you will bring this family down to it's knees- because killing Fitz, would be as good as killing me!"

"Nonsense! By killing him, I'll be saving you! Saving you from a lifetime of being his whore!"

"Whore, you say? _Wow_, you have no idea do you?! Well let me spell it out for you Dad… If being with Fitz makes me his whore, then guess what, I'd rather be his whore any day, than be called any daughter of yours!"

"You disgust me!"

"And I hate you!" She spits back… "You're nothing but a hypocrite, you've spent your entire life fighting for equality, but yet deep down you still see us as different from them! Which makes you no better than the racists that killed my mother! Because like it or not, they see the world through the very same eyes as you! A world where you are solely judged by the colour of your skin. Those men killed mum because she was black, and it's no different from you wanting to Fitz because he is white! Or are you too blinded by prejudice and hate to see that?"

"You're wrong, the fact that he's white, has no bearing on the fact that he's using you!"

"He loves me!" She counters.

"He's married, or have you forgotten that?"

"Not that I need to explain anything to you, but he's going to divorce his wife, and when he does we _WILL_ be together!"

"_And then what?_" He starts to mock her... "You'll find a State that will marry you, and then have a bunch of half breed babies, who will grow up not knowing who they are or where they fit in? Over my dead body!"

_"Be careful what wish for dad..."_ She retorts, which a catch in her voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means whatever you want for it to mean... But understand this, I don't need your validation on how best to live my life... And those half breed babies that you referred to, your future grandchildren; they will not grow up confused, or unsure of their heritage, because Fitz and I will teach them about who they are, and through our love and our guidance we will provide them with the tools they need to face this poisonous world and the people in it- including you!"

"You're delusional if you think any of this will come to pass... Because once this world finds out about you and Fitz, it will chew you up and spit you out- It will break you! And you'll be left with nothing but heartache and pain... And that's if I don't get my hands on Fitz first!"

"You harm one hair on his head, and I swear to you, you'll spend the rest of your life in chains!"

"If it means he's dead- I don't really care, because prison will be a small price to pay to keep him from destroying you!"

"Get out!"

"Gladly, but you'll see soon enough, I'm doing this because I know what's best for you, whether you wish to acknowledge it now or later!" With that said, he then points to the envelope of the floor and adds forebodingly. "By the way, you should know that the contents of that envelope was not my doing, they were delivered to me by an anonymous source two days ago… It seems as though I'm not the only person you need to worry about; not that I care about what happens to Fitz; he deserves everything that comes his way, but you're my daughter and despite what you might think I don't want to see you get hurt or worse…"

She scoffs, "Well, you have a funny way of showing it!"

"That's down to you Liv- Leave Fitz and then I won't have to hurt him. But if you choose to pursue this ridiculous affair, then you leave me with no option but to carry out my intent, as will others I fear; and in that case you better watch your back!"


	27. Chapter 27

Part 27

"I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to do?"

"No, you did the right thing…"

"I knew you were meeting with your lawyer, so I took a chance and called."

"_Sssh_, it's okay baby I'm here now, and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you…" He pulls her into his embrace in a bid to comfort her, whereas he himself is angered. _He should have been here!_ He didn't care for Eli's threats on his life, they carried no weight as far as he was concerned. However, him coming here and stressing out Liv, making her feel unsafe and vulnerable, that was not on and he would not stand for it! He was going to deal with Eli head on. But the photos however were another matter; they unnerved him the most. And clearly whoever was surveilling them was also out for blood too, that's why they made sure to send those pictures to Eli; for he was nothing but a pawn on their chessboard; after a little digging around they would have figured out that Eli's response would be similar to theirs, and by enlightening him they probably hoped that he would have unknowingly done their dirty work for them. _But what happens when Eli doesn't become the threat they would have planned on?_ Because Fitz knows he can handle Eli, he also suspects that in his own way Eli loves his daughter enough to not lay his hands on her directly… So the question becomes, _when using Eli fails- will these people look for another plan of attack?_ And considering how long they have been watching them, he truly believes that they will, especially if they find out about the pregnancy- and in that case he fears that they will go after Liv next. Which means Liv and the baby were no longer safe. Therefore hanging around waiting for his divorce to Mellie to go through was no longer an option. He needed to get them to Vermont sooner rather than later. But unfortunately that would entail breaking a promise he had made to her…_ "Liv…"_ He whispers gently. She looks up at him through watery pools. _It breaks his heart to do this, but her safety comes first… _"I'm thinking, today is just the beginning… And after seeing those photos, knowing how long they have been following us, I fear that your dad is just the first of many attempts to sabotage us. Which means I need to get you out of here, and it can't wait until after the divorce… I need to get you out of Washington DC as soon as possible."

"Are you coming with me?" She asks, sensing where he's about to go with this, but not liking it one bit.

He swallows. "No, not right away… I need to tie up a few things here first, and then…"

"_No… No way! _ I'm not leaving you here!" She counters, breaking from his embrace and meeting him with fierce opposition.

"Liv it's not safe!"

"It's not safe for you either, what about Dad?!" She exclaims, getting progressively het up… "And you promised me; yesterday you said that you will never leave me alone, and yet here you are proposing to do just that!"

"You have to believe me, it's the last thing I want to do, but I have no choice in the matter, you can't stay here, not when your life and our baby's is in the danger…"

"I'm not leaving without you!"

"Liv these people will come after us again, can't you see that? Sending those picture's to your father was the first step, and when that doesn't work they'll strike again, but only harder and I don't want you getting hurt in the process."

"I think you're underestimating my father, and the carnage he can cause, he does not make idle threats Fitz and he is a very determined man… he will stop at nothing to hurt you. That's why I need to stay!"

"I can handle your father on my own Liv, but what I can't handle is losing you… I will not risk your life for anything, and if that means sending you away, until we can be together then so be it!"

Petulantly. "I won't go!"

"You WILL go! Even if it means me dragging you there kicking and screaming, you will go…"

"No I won't!"

**_"__Listen to him Liv, he's right!"_**

Alarmed both of them look towards the door, in the direction of their unexpected intruder. Protectively Fitz stands in front of Liv, shielding her… "Who the hell are you, and what do you want?" He snarls aggressively, ready to attack.

Quickly recovering from the initial shock, Liv gets up and touches Fitz on the shoulder, "Fitz it's okay…"

Fitz stares at her in confusion- _What do you mean? What the hell is going on? Who is this man? _He questions silently.

"It's okay, I know him…" She explains. "Fitz, this is Huck!"

"Hello Sir; I'm sorry if I frightened you both, truly it wasn't my intention, but I couldn't help but overhear you in the hallway, and you're right..." He then looks at Liv, conveying his concern... "He's right, and I'm here to help. Just tell me what you need me to do?!"


	28. Chapter 28

Part 28

Fitz's initial reaction was to stay clear of Huck, because he can't help but find him incredibly strange and unnerving. Here he was, this stranger- lurking around in the shadows, ready to attack and protect Liv, although he barely even knows her. _Who does that?_ However, for some reason Liv seems to trust Huck implicitly, as she tells him that whenever he can't be around, she would feel a whole lot safer knowing that Huck was close by, watching over her at night. Of course in hind sight this wasn't exactly the time to turn away offered help, because in truth they needed as much support as possible, so eventually Fitz relents and decides to give the man a chance; but only after a thorough interrogation, where he finds out that Huck is a widowed ex-army officer, highly skilled in the art of war and combat, which at the very least means he can have confidence in Huck's ability to protect Liv.

With Huck fully on board, together; despite Liv's reservations, they devise a plan to get her out of here. Although to be fair a lot was already being set in motion. Having secured a deposit with the bank a few days ago, all Fitz had to do was get his lawyer to rush ahead and secure the contracts on the new house. Then as soon as that was done, he would arrange for Huck to take Liv up to Vermont. Huck would then leave Harrison in charge of his business, whilst he stayed with Liv, until Fitz could join her. In the meantime, Fitz planned to approach Eli and tell him that under no uncertain terms, to stay away from Liv and that more importantly he was not afraid of him. If anything, it was Eli that should worry for his safety if he foolishly decides to pursue this vendetta. God knows he had the manpower to crush Eli underfoot, and if that failed- the look in Huck's eyes told him that if called upon, he would happily put a permanent end to Eli himself. Although he really hopes it will not come to that.

On another personal note, Fitz needed to have "the talk" with Mellie, it was time he told her that he was leaving her for someone else. He owed her that much, before presenting her with divorce papers, plus he wanted to keep the break up as amicable as possible for the sake of the children. His plan on starting a new life with Liv, had always included having his kids around; he loved them unconditionally and so naturally he wanted them to be a part of their lives too. But Mellie could be very vindictive, and he had no doubt in his mind that left to her own devises she will go out of her way to make things difficult for him. Therefore in an attempt to cushion the blow, or sweeten the deal- whatever way she intended to see it, he was offering her a very tidy divorce settlement. If Mellie went along with his terms and conditions, she could continue living in the big house and he was prepared to keep her in all the luxuries she has grown accustomed to over the years, just as long as she agreed to him having the children every other weekend and share the holiday time with him 50:50. In his eyes, he wasn't asking for much, however if she was incapable of playing nice, he was not opposed to playing hard ball either; leaving her with as little as possible and only giving her enough money to tend to his children and nothing more. At the end of the day, it was her choice- although he prays for all parties concerned that she will accept it, take what is offered and move on.

Xxxx

Yesterday Huck had offered to follow him to Eli's house, but Fitz had gratefully declined. This was something he needed to handle himself; face to face and man to man- otherwise he would only appear as weak and incapable of fighting his own battles, and then Eli would be convinced that he had the upper hand- Which he did not.

To say Eli was shocked to see him on his door step, would be an understatement… "_Wow_, you really do have some nerve coming here!"

"Needs be, because we need to talk Eli!"

"_TALK?_ I suggest you get off my doorstep right now, before I get reach for my shotgun and blow you to kingdom come!" He threatens, meaning every word.

Unfazed. "Eli, look around- it's in the middle of the day, no matter what you say to Liv, you and I both know that you were never made for incarceration. If you try and take me out in broad daylight, you _will_ be caught and sentenced with first degree murder, and with you being a black man and considering my political profile, they'd more than likely push for the death penalty."

"Political profile, what a joke… Once the world finds out about you and my daughter, you'll be shunned and outcast from society and office. No one will want to associate themselves with you, let alone fight for justice for your untimely death. God knows your wife would be last in line- knowing you left her for, what is it your people like to call us… oh yes, a nigger. If anything, she'll commend me for pulling the trigger!"

"I don't care what anyone has to say, I have the right to fall in love with whoever I choose, black or white- And whether you, my wife or society wish to accept that fact or not- I don't really care, because I WILL be with Liv regardless of what anyone else thinks or feels! And believe me, I will happily defend my decisions till the day I die- which, let me assure you will not be by your hands, or anyone else's who fails to see the beauty in our love! Because I will destroy anyone that comes in my way, before they even get a chance to make a move- and that includes you! So if you don't want your daughter to lose another parent- stay the hell away!"

He scoffs… "You naive fool- if you really loved my daughter, then it should be you who stays away… You think you're so invincible but you're not- The problem is, you have no real insight into what your own people are like- you are completely blind to it! They will despise this union more than anyone else, your family and friends included… Because they will deem you a traitor, someone who loves blacks more than your own kind. And then they will seek and exact revenge, to such extents that death will almost seem to kind in comparison. They will hurt my child to get to you, she will suffer unimaginable cruelty and pain, until they finally decide to put her out of her misery and take her from you. And why, all because of you love her, and wish to prove a point! Well over my dead body, or yours- either way it doesn't matter to me!"

"I will never let anyone hurt her, and that includes you too!" He proclaims fiercely.

"Oh you have no idea, because it's already happening- Don't you see that ship has sailed?! As we speak they are watching you; Liv too, just waiting for the opportunity to strike and bring an end to this cursed affair! And I refuse to lose my daughter over this mess, all because you couldn't keep your dick in your trousers! As her father, I will not- _CANNOT_ allow that to happen! Therefore for Liv's sake only, I give you this one and only chance to walk away; go back to your wife and simply forget about my daughter- or otherwise I will kill you- and I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't enjoy it!"

Not about to back down either, vehemently he responds in kind… "Then Eli you should probably know, I will never walk away from Liv, so I guess I've just declared war- the only difference is, you won't see me coming!"

_Really, is that so?_ Don't test me, Eli thinks menacingly, quickly losing his composure; the opportunity he afforded Fitz to back away, is now dashed aside in fury; as on auto pilot he turns and reaches for his gun, aiming it at him, ready to end this right here and now… Time for talking was over, it was time for action.

Blindsided, Fitz looks at him like a dear caught in fog lights; totally unprepared, there was nothing he could do to stop this… _No, it can't end like this… it can't!_ But it looks like it will- and suddenly he is bombard with thoughts of Liv and his children, as a vision of a future that will never come to pass now flashes before his eyes…

Meanwhile Eli fingers the trigger... his mouth curling into a malevolent smile, as he bores into Fitz's soul with eyes filled with hatred.


	29. Chapter 29

Part 29

_"Drop. The. Gun."_

Eli can't even talk, if he breathes too hard the blade that's being pressed against to his carotid artery is sure to draw blood. "Drop the gun, or otherwise I will drag this blade across your throat…" He is told warningly, leaving no doubt in his mind that the man behind him was capable and willing to do just that.

Ever so slowly Eli lowers his rifle to the floor. Fitz is then instructed to grab it, which he does so immediately, effectively turning the tables around. Although, Fitz can barely take it all in, still trying to get over the shock of how close he was to losing his life… If it weren't for Huck, who seemed to just show up from nowhere- he would be dead!

Encouraging Fitz to follow them inside, Huck walks Eli backwards into the living room, with the knife still pressed against his neck; which was now red and sore from his callous treatment.

"I'm going to sit you down, but if you try anything funny- I will not hesitate to take action… Do you understand me?"

"Yes…" Eli just about manages, in fear of being cut or worse.

Once seated. "Fitz, tell him what you need to say, and then I want you to leave." Huck directs from behind, still holding the knife dangerously close to Eli's throat.

_"Why, what are you going to do?"_ Fitz asks, uncertain of what Huck had in store for Eli, and how Liv would react if she were to find out that her father had been murdered, which by the looks of it was a strong possibility. Not that he should feel guilty, seeing as Eli was about to do the very same to him a few minutes ago.

"Don't worry, just say you peace and then go…" Huck was the last person he planned on arguing with.

And so, this time it was Eli's turn to stare down the barrel of his gun as Fitz trains it on him. "There's not much to say… other than next time you won't get the chance to pull a gun out on me. If you value your life, you'll stay away from Liv, and stay away from me… otherwise you're dead, _if not already!_"

"If you think this over, you're mistaken…" Eli threatens, despite his life precariously hanging in the balance… "Even if I give up the chase, you can mark my words, there will be others. As long as you're with my daughter you'll never find peace…"

Although his warning rings true, he refuses to admit it in front of Eli. Because in reality controlling Eli was rather mute, in the face of the bigger picture- Fitz needed to find out who was tailing him, and put an end to this madness once and for all.

"I will take my chances." Fitz replies instead, leaving it at that- before giving Huck the signal that he was ready to leave.

Huck nods in response. "Take the gun with you."

Fitz does as he requests, hiding it inside his jacket, before taking one last look and Eli and walking through the front door.

Xxxx

_"Just you and me now..."_

As soon as Fitz is a safe distance away, Huck forgoes the knife as he put Eli in a choke hold. Eli starts to trash against him, fighting to breathe as Huck skilfully starves off his oxygen supply… "Listen here, and listen good…" He whispers forebodingly, breathing heavily against his ear… "If you do anything to harm Liv, which includes the _shit_ you tried to pull today… I will come for you when you least expect it... _Did you know there are a million and one ways to torture someone without killing them?_ Well I do, therefore I advise you to take heed of this warning and stay away, otherwise by the time I'm finished with you, you'll be begging, in fact pleading for me to kill you!_"_

_"__Who are you…?"_ Eli squeezes out, very close to blacking out.

"I'm your worst nightmare!"


	30. Chapter 30

Part 30

Surprised. _"Fitz is that you?"_ Mellie calls from upstairs, upon hearing him enter. Fitz had not been home early in months, therefore something must be up… _Had Big Jerry finally followed through with his word, and put an end to this ridiculous affair?_ She hopes so. Checking out her appearance in the mirror, as immaculate as ever; she leaves the kids with Rosa, instructing that they stay in their rooms, until she says otherwise, as she heads downstairs in search of Fitz.

She finds him in the dining room, nursing a scotch… and when she gets a little closer she notices that his hand is shaking…

"Oh my god, are you alright?" She's never seen him like this before, and it alarms her… "What's going on?"

_"__What's going on…?"_ He laughs, almost hysterically… "If only you knew!" He takes another swig of the amber liquid.

_"__Is it work?"_ She feigns innocence, knowing it has nothing to do with work, and more than likely everything to do with the woman he has been sleeping with.

"No Mellie, it's not about work…" He takes another swig, this time almost downing the entire glass… "Today something happened that put my whole life into perspective… It also showed me that life is too short and far too fickle, and at any one moment it can be taken from you… _Just like that!"_

She has no idea where he's going with this, but whatever direction it was going, it wasn't sounding good… He ponders, "I've been thinking back to the day we got married… Such a beautiful ceremony, in all its fine riches and splendour… Father didn't spare a penny when it came to detail, he only wanted the best! Although I suppose he did that to overcompensate for the fact that he knew his only son was signing himself away to a loveless marriage…"

Feeling put out, Mellie rises from her seat… "I refuse to listen to this!" But Fitz stops her, pulling her back down again… "You will stay and you will listen…" She can tell he means business, so she chooses to remain seated as he gets up and procures a second tumbler, pouring her a large glass of scotch…

Obstinately. "I don't want it…" she tells him.

"Trust me you'll need it!" He insists, whilst pouring himself another, knocking it back and quickly pouring again. Eventually, he sits back down beside her, sighing as he does so. "I really tried to love you Mellie, _I did…_ And when Little Jerry and Karen came along, I thought that maybe this was it, maybe I was in love and I just didn't know it… But I was mistaken…"

_"__Fitz…"_ She tries to interrupt, but he doesn't let her… "No, let me finish."

"I don't want to hear this!"

"I'm sorry, but you must… _You see,_ there's no easy way to tell you this, but I have met someone else… And she is amazing; and I love her, and I intend to be with her…"

_"__No,_ stop talking, because what you're proposing is ludicrous!" she retorts, but Fitz pays her little mind… "I'm leaving you Mellie, I'm leaving you for her… and I'm so sorry, because I never intended for this to happen- but I would be lying if I said that I regret her coming into my life, because I don't! She makes me happy, she loves me and she's willing to sacrifice everything to be with me."

Enraged. "_She has made sacrifices!_ Well what about the sacrifices I have made for you, _huh?_ All the things that I have given up, my own career, my body… I bore you two kids, when I don't even have a maternal bone in my body… And yet you choose to leave now, before you can deliver the promises you made to me… What about you running for State Governor? Are you saying that you've given up on that too?"

"I don't care about running for Governor… I never did, that was always yours and Big Jerry's dream, never mine!"

"How can you do this to me? How can you just walk away, and treat me with so little regard!"

"All I can do is apologise Mellie…"

"Well I'm sorry too, because if you think I will simply roll over and agree to this divorce, you are sorely mistaken- because it's never going to happen- I will fight you all the way on this!"

"This divorce will happen, whether you agree to it or not Mellie!"

Frustrated, angered and annoyed that Big Jerry has even allowed it to get this far; this time she's the one knocking back the scotch... Although his words of wisdom from previous conversations, begin to play over in her mind renewing her with confidence… _The kids, when in doubt use the kids Mellie!_ _YES..._ She slams her empty tumbler down onto the table. "Fine Fitz, you want a divorce, then so be it… But know this, divorcing me also means divorcing your kids too!"

"You will not be able to keep my kids away from me!"

Ruthlessly, she says… "You just watch me! Go ahead and leave, and you'll see what will happen- you won't see little Jer or Karen for dust, I promise you that for nothing!" She threatens him. "So if I were you, I would start re-evaluating your options… Ask yourself this, _is this woman seriously worth losing your kids over, your family even?_ Because, we both know your father will _NEVER_ stand for it! So you decide Fitz, and get back to me when you realise what is more important, your lover or us!"

And on that crippling note she storms out, leaving Fitz to stew over what she has said…

She doesn't reaches half way up the stairs, before she hears the sound of his crystal tumbler, smash and shatter, as it collides with the wall.

_"__Bitch!"_

He was at breaking point. First Eli, now Mellie- He needed to see Liv, because some how all was well when he was lying beside her.


End file.
